To Be or Nogitsune
by assantra
Summary: Stiles has been having those dreams again. The ones where the Nogitsune is trying to coax him into something but Stiles is fighting it. He's afraid he's possessed again. Scott isn't listening and Derek isn't there. Then he gets a video message, from himself. "Foxes aren't pack, but they can be family oriented, if they want to be. Slow burn Sterek. Scott bashing.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N~ Ok so in order to help with my writers block on my other fic I started this one and so far it's helping a lot. Let me know what you think of this. Yes it will be Sterek, if you don't like, if you do read and don't approve, too bad. It's called freedom of speech or writing in this case. Yes for you English Lit majors I am butchering the Bard's prose. Sorry but since he was probably on of the first spoofers I don't think he would complain. Let me know what you think. ~A**

 **To Be Or Nogitsune-**

 _To be or Nogitsune_

 _That is the question._

 _Whether tis nobler in the mind_

 _To suffer the fox demon._

 _The slings and arrows of Allison~_

 **Chapter 1**

Stiles screamed himself awake and was glad his father is at work right now. Though still receiving physical therapy for the gunshot wound, John Stilinski had returned to work. Still suffering from stiffness and the more than occasional muscle spasm, the Sheriff was back on the job. Not because he wanted to be but because he needed to be. Their financial woes were not however why Stiles muscles were ever so slowly relaxing from their own form of tautness.

He was slowly calming down from another one of those dreams, the lovely dreams of the noisome variety and yes sir that was most definitely sarcasm. Eyes that he had no doubt were developing dark circles under, stare blearily at his old digital alarm clock. 3:29 a.m.

With a sigh, the teen pulled himself out of bed and proceeded to pull on running shorts and a tank top, before adding his trainers. He put the training backpack on, smaller than his school backpack, it had stronger shoulder straps, compartments inside filled with lead weights, mountain ash and mistletoe vials, a silver dagger and as well as two 21 inch expandable batons. Several strips of reflective tape and little lights attached to a battery pack inside. He and Lydia had worked it up when she found out he had taking up running at night

Because as she had said, "Stiles running at night? That's just asking for something to happen." She was currently working on a better prototype to maybe patent and sell. Of course neither of them ever talked about why Stiles ran at night, alone, all over Beacon Hills. The fact that she was the only one who even knew he did it, well that was typical lately.

Kira tried, but let's face it Scott was her boyfriend and her first loyalty was to him. Lydia had agreed to keep it from Jordan cause to be honest Stiles was pretty sure that the deputy would tell his boss the Sheriff. Stiles couldn't fault him for being loyal to his dad in fact he was grateful for it. At east his father had someone he could rely on watching his back, in this town that was saying something.

As for Scott, well his brother in everything but blood was actively avoiding him. Melissa didn't even bother to lie to Stiles anymore because he had taken to calling her out on the lying, and let's face it she felt guilty lying to the boy she considered another son. Issac, Danny, and Jackson had not returned from their respective sojourns out into the world. Although he missed Danny and to a certain degree Jackson, he was almost certain that it was healthier for him if Issac stayed away for a while.

Liam of course was more concerned with what, his Alpha, his brother wanted. Although Stiles had practically bitten his tongue out when he had heard the pair refer to each other as brothers, he had managed to say nothing about the betrayal he felt. He figured after what had happened to Allison he owed Scott that much. Though it had hurt on an almost soul deep level. The fact that the younger man was currently dating Malia, didn't really improve the situation or his mood.

Then of course there was Derek. Then teen sighed as he added the ten pond weight to the backpack. The elder werewolf and only remaining Hale in Beacon Hills, wasn't actually in Beacon Hills. When they had left Mexico, Derek had driven off to heaven knew where with Braeden. Since Derek's defection a huge padlock had appeared on the door to the industrial style building that housed the loft.

Barred from their former meeting place, the Pack what there was of it, now met at Scott's house. Something that Stiles had a feeling his best friends mom wasn't exactly thrilled about, Although he had overheard a conversation between his dad and Scott's mom, she did confess to being glad that at least this way she was kind of in the loop about what was going on.

Stiles didn't tell the parents that they were still mostly out of the loop. The small pack of skin walkers who had come through town a couple of weeks ago for instance. The group of five skin walkers were basically looking for some fresh young skins, and yes that was just as disgusting and disturbing as it sounded.

Their respective parents had no idea that the skin walkers had been met by the so-called McCall Pack. That once again Scott had ignored the plan that Stiles had made and that the Pack had all agreed to, to come up with something off the cuff. Everyone else was out of the loop, Scott did whatever Scott did with Liam having his own little attack mode thing. The end result being Lydia and Kira both being injured severely, and it had taken all Stiles could give to work to heal the two girls. As it was Lydia still moved less gracefully then normal and Kira was still walking with a limp.

Scott still considered the whole thing to have been a brilliant success on his part. When he had come up to give Stiles a high five, the only thing that saved him from the punch Stiles threw was his werewolf reflexes as it was he tripped over Liam's feet and they both went down in the pool of blood that came from both girls. There was the reason for the current impasse the Pack found themselves in.

Stiles decided to do cross-country style instead of along the streets and roads of Beacon Hills. He took shortcuts across yards, through alleys and finding whatever short cuts he could. Even going over roofs for part of the run. When he got to some of the older buildings though he headed back down to street level. Falling through a roof oe time was all it took to figure out when to quit while he was ahead.

He ran around the track of the high school a couple of times, then around the lacrosse field once, just for old times sake. Stiles had changed from lacrosse to track and field for the new school year. Yet another reason apparently for his old pal Scott to feel betrayed. Stiles had never been great at lacrosse, he had his moments but he had finally figured out where he excelled was running.

He figured all the monsters du jour chasing you was a really great motivational tool. He would totally recommend it to the various teams. If only there wasn't the maiming, bloodshed, and potential for death involved, their times would improve drastically he was sure of it.

Stiles snorted as he left the school yard behind and headed into the Preserve. The full moon was still a couple of weeks away. Plus there was the fact that even the things that went bump in the night were no doubt deep in their beds asleep at this hour.

Stretching out his hand, he ran his fingers over the barrier, enjoying the light show it caused as a rainbow of light and sparks flew from his fingers. Stiles had made the disks in shop class as a special project to prove that aluminum and palladium could be mixed. Course he didn't tell the instructor how many of the little bricks he had made. Over 500,000 of the little things, he also neglected to mention that he had included a few things in the mix, crushed tourmaline for instance.

Things that would protect the area within from anything with evil intent. The Preserve was protected, every Pack members house, and the Sheriff's station and his dad didn't know it but his cruiser. Parrish's cruiser, Lydia's car, Scott's bike, his Beauty of course. When he said every Pack members residence he met everyone including he absentee Derek. Stiles skidded and slid down the slope to the industrial building that housed the former Alpha's loft.

It had taken the teen, the remainder of school year, the entire summer holiday and twelve weekends worth of work to bury all of the tiny bricks and hide them in each individuals cars. Usually in the seat cushions, a fact that made him grateful to his mother for discovering that her hyperactive child was actually interested in sewing and having the patience to teach him.

Slowing to a walk the teen cooled down as he walked to the entrance to the industrial building. He stretched for a few minutes listening out for any unusual sounds, scented the air for anything odd. Not that he had the senses of say a werewolf but he's like to think he had visited this place often enough since Derek's abandonment that he would recognize anything out of place.

As he studied everything he casually checked out a black rock near the entrance and noted the layer of dust that sat there. He stares at it for several minutes, the feeling that crashes down on him enough to literally rock him where he stood. He is glad at that moment that there aren't ny werewolves around at the moment. He knew he would reek of despair. Closing his eyes for a moment the teen worked hard to get his emotions his fears under control.

When he was finally ready Stiles pulled the chain from around his neck and

unlocked the padlock. He climbed the stairs slowly, his former depression settling back into place. Stiles kept listening, actually hoping to hear something out of place. Wanting to hear the shuffle of feet, a creak of a board, anything to show that the loft was actually inhabited.

Wanting to smell the scent of sweat, trees, and earth, as well as a unique musk. One he recognized as Derek. Of course he didn't have the senses of a werewolf so if a werewolf were here, Derek or someone else, his human senses wouldn't have known anyway.

There was nothing. Stiles felt his eyes burn and shook his head and rubbed his eyes slightly, convincing himself it was lack of sleep that was behind it. Not missing a certain former Alpha. Stiles snorted with self loathing as he trudged up the stairs and drew a deep breath before pulling the door back. The large table was still in place in front of the window.

He had laughingly asked the former Alpha one time if he owned a glass company or at least stock in one. As many times in the past several years as they had to replace the glass in the windows and skylights because the latest big nasty had broken through them to get to members of the Pack. Derek had actually laughed and admitted, "No, but it's worth looking into."

Stiles smiled a little shakily as he closed the loft door behind him. He walked over to the unmade bed left in the loft. The same sheets as when the older man had left. He concentrated on the side of the bed that he knew Derek had slept on. After he had recovered from being a teen again but was still losing his wolf because of Kate's machinations, but before he had started the relationship with Braeden. Stiles had actually managed to sneak in on the older man. Even then Stiles had been suffering from insomnia and had played stalker to the man he was honest enough to admit he was obsessed with.

The relationship with Braeden had severely curtailed the teens intense observations of all things Derek, but it didn't stop the emotions. The boy dropped his backpack beside the bed and putting the pillow to his face as he sat on the side of the bed, Stiles inhaled the lingering scent deeply.

Fishing his cell out of the backpack, Stiles set the alarm for 30 minutes and laid it back on the floor. Then kicking off his trainers he laid back on the bed, curled his body around the pillow protectively and was almost instantly asleep.

When the alarm went off half an hour later, the teen reluctantly rose and slid his trainers back on. Sliding his phone back into the pocket where it had been before, Stiles stood and headed back to the loft door. Thirty minutes was all he allowed himself on these nightly visits. One thousand eight hundred seconds of release and relief without the nightmares, the tension, the dark emotions that had plagued him, since the fox demon.

He drew a deep sigh as he walked out the door and pulled it closed behind him. Yes he had figured out what the Yukimura's hadn't told him and perhaps they really didn't know that what had possessed him wasn't a spirit so much as a demon. The demon was a leader of the kitsune until he decided to lead a rebellion. The other kitsune threw him into the void as punishment.

A flash of lightning, followed a little too closely by a clap of thunder drew the teen out of his thoughts and back into the hear and now. The dark roiling clouds in the sky were soon backlit by another bolt of lightning. Stiles picked up his pace and made it back home just in time.

There was no misting or sprinkling of rain first as a warning, just one minute Stiles was running though threatening weather. The next he was just inside the front door of his house, with sheets of rain hitting the ground so hard you actually saw it bounce back into the air about two feet. The teen sent a whoosh of air through his lips gratefully and locked the door behind him before climbing the stairs to his room.

Although leery of sleeping because of the nightmares, Stiles decided he would try and sleep for a couple more hours. After all he really did need to get into a better sleep schedule for school. The teen found himself falling rather easily into a surprisingly deep, dreamless sleep.

The alarm he set went of the next morning and Stiles reached to turn it off. He grunted tiredly and realized that even though he hadn't had any bad dreams he actually felt more tired than when he had come back from visiting the loft. Stiles wobbled down the stairs to make himself some toast, the teen was working on a pot of coffee when his father got home.

"Hey dad, want a cup" Stiles asked as his father came through the door.

"Half a cup, maybe. I plan on catching as much rack time as possible in the next twelve then heading back in," John Stilinski told his son as he added a couple of slices of bread to the toaster after Stiles had pulled his toast out. Pulling some juice out of the fridge and sweetening his fathers coffee, Stiles made them a little impromptu breakfast.

John studied the teen as he moved around the kitchen and said, "I'd ask how you slept but you look only slightly less dazed and confused than a zombie."

"Gee thanks Dad, Really feeling the love here," Stiles responded giving his dad a wan smile. "I thought I might go back to bed. Try to catch up on some sleep."

The older man nodded before saying, "Still having some trouble sleeping?"

"Actually, I don't seem to have trouble getting to sleep. It's more staying asleep and actually getting rest, that seems to be the problem." Seeking to change the subject the teen asked his father, "Is is still raining out there?"

"Actually it stopped a little while ago, still overcast though, and of course the rain cooled down the Indian summer heat a bit. Kind of wish it hadn't stopped though. Nothing like the sound of rain to help you sleep." His father said as he downed the rest of the coffee in is mug.

The Seriff gave his son a one-armed hug before heading upstairs for a shower and hopefully at least eight good hours of sleep. Stiles finished his own breakfast and rinsed the dishes before setting them in the dishwasher he was about to climb nto the bed when he remembered he was supposed to meet Lydia at her house to get her Calc book since his had kind of gotten damaged from the fight with the skin walkers.

Apparently skin walker guts and goo was very hard to get out of book bindings. Who knew…okay better yet who would even want to know. Sighing tiredly Stiles went back upstairs to is room and rummaged in his laundry basket to find the jogging clothes he had worn last night. He pulled them out and grimaced in disgust as he found something soaking wet in his hamper.

He thought back as a scowl came to his face, trying to figure out his clothes would be soaked. Had he taken a shower last night and just refused to remember it…and forgot to take off his clothes for it. He reached for his trainers and went from confused to downright terrified, when he discovered that the shoes were also soaked through.

Quickly putting on some fresh, dry clothes and putting on an older pair of tennis shoes. Stiles grabbed his wallet, cell phone and the cars to his Baby and headed downstairs to drive over to Lydia's.

The strawberry blond was actually outside in her bikini top and shorts, giving her dog a bath. Stiles said affectionately baiting his former crush, "You know you could have done that just a few hours ago and probably not even have to worry about the water restrictions."

"Yeah, yeah, well I slept through the rain and let the dog out this morning. Prada decided to get a mud bath, while he was out so now he gets a real one before he gets anywhere near my room again."

"Don't want to bother you but I came to borrow your Calculus book to do my homework if you don't mind." he said sheepishly.

"Oh yeah, sure," the girl said. "It should be up on my desk. Do me a favor though. Don't lose my bookmarks?"

"Sure, sure Stiles said readily enough before going into the back of the house through the French doors. He left his trainers by the back door and headed u the stairs to Lydia's room. He retrieved the book and headed back out the way he had come, he chatted with Lydia for a few minutes longer, then left.

He was driving back to his house, when is mind went back to the mystery of the wet clothes and shoes. It was when he had put the Jeep in park that he realized he hadn't made it to his destination. He found himself outside of the Loft again.

"Yeah, this can't be a good sign." Stiles said as he threw himself out of the Jeep and headed to the front door. He didn't look around suspiciously this time and barely spared a glance for the dusty black rock. Stiles unlocked the front door and ran u the stairs two at a time.

The puddle of rain water standing in front of the loft door sent a chill down the teen's spine. Carefully avoiding the standing water he pulled the loft door open. The loft looked much as it did when he had left it this morning, the dust still remained on the floor, grime on the windows, the bed was still rumpled. His computer sitting on the large table was new and disturbing as the boy distinctly remembered it being on his desk last night when…well both times that he had gone to bed last night.

He walked over and opened the computer to have the screen light up and his own face drawing back from the video camera.

The eyes were his but darker, the face was his but paler. Stiles felt his knees weaken as he grabbed for the edge of the table. As his own voice spoke to him,

"Stiles, I want to tell you I'm back. The reason that I'm telling you this is to let you know something I've realized. The fox isn't usually a Pack animal, but we can be family oriented. Your Pack is your family to you, so they will be to me as well. We'll talk again, if you'd like." With that the computer screen froze on the final image of the video clip.

Stiles feels his knees go out from under him as he slid to the floor, leaning against the leg of the table. It was back, the fox demon, was back. As Stiles looked over at the rumpled bed that Derek had once slept in, he wished for the missing wolf to come back more than ever.

He was terrified that he was possessed again and he had no one he could talk to about it. Because if he told anyone they would probably think he was crazy or for those who knew the truth they would think he was possessed again. Only Derek might understand, the teen was sure of it. "Where are you Derek?" He said desperately as he rubbed his fingers back along his scalp and back through his short hair.


	2. Chapter 2

**To Be or Nogitsune**

 **A/N~ So how do you like the story so far? Because of two appointments tomorrow, I will be posting this chapter early. Warning, Scott bashing ahead, both literally and physically. Sterek but slow moving, heck Derek hasn't even shone up yet. So yes more is ahead. Let me know if you are enjoying the story. Read, enjoy and review. ~A**

 **Chapter 2**

 **Several days later:** Stiles didn't really start believing what the Nogitsune had said until several days later. When he awoke from a sound sleep to find himself running through the woods faster than was humanly possible. He tried to stop only to have a voice in his head an all too familiar voice say, "Father, needs us, nasty wolf." Stiles didn't hold back and let the fox take over as they ran, it's agility was incredible.

He leapt off a bluff and realized he was right next to one of the main roads that led into town. There on the road below was his father out of his cruiser and on the ground under a werewolf, an Alpha. Stiles aimed for mid-back with his feet, and when he landed, he managed to push the wolf away from his father. He felt and heard the bones break under him.

He had no claws or even shoes but he had a knife in his hand one he recognized from their kitchen. The teen pushed the larger shape shifter over on his back and shoved the knife up through his throat and into his brain. He left the knife in place and lunged over to where his father was still lying in the road.

John Stilinski was still conscious when his son suddenly appeared over him in place of the rogue werewolf. The Sheriff had not had time to change out ammo before the rogue was on him and trying to maul him. The thing had managed to bite and claw him a couple of times. Even knowing what that meant for his future the Sheriff remembered his son and had continued to fight back desperately.

To suddenly find his son hovering over him, wasn't right. He grabbed his son's arm with the mangled hand he had shoved into the werewolves mouth. "Stiles, run!" he garbled. No pain but he was pretty sure from the sound of his voice, something is damaged either in his jaw or possibly his throat.

The man looks up into his sons eyes and figures he must be hallucinating or his son is panicked beyond belief because his sons pupils are blown beyond belief. "Dad," Stiles calls desperately and the Sheriff realizes he might have lost some time because his son had managed to get him into the cruiser and a stray thought of where was his son's Jeep.

Then he felt hands tracing his pockets and then reaching in and pulling the keys to the cruiser out. He lost time again because the next time he's aware he sees Melissa hovering over him, as well as several other medical personnel he remembers vaguely from too many trips to the ER either for himself or for cases.

He tried to talk and this time he couldn't even get his mouth to work at all.

"You're alive, you're in the ER. Stiles is outside for the moment, he's fine too." said the pretty brunette soothingly, "Rest John, I've got you."

 **XXXXXXXXX**

Stiles is pissed off and pacing back and forth. They won't let him see his dad and on top of that where is the Pack?" The supposed protectors of Beacon Hills are nowhere to be found. He is actually surprised that Scott isn't there. After all Mama McCall had finished examining Stiles at least an hour ago.

The deputies had come in while Mellissa had been examining him, he had told her he was fine and the blood was the crazy vagrants and his dad's. "Too much blood," he had muttered and the head nurse had taken his left in hers on the pretense of checking his pulse, but he had felt the reassurance and affection in the older woman's touch and had given her a grateful look.

Where was he again, "Oh yeah, the naked vagrant had been walking on the side of the road, dad had pulled over, went to try and talk to the guy. I think he was trying to talk the guy into the cruiser and the guy went ape shit, he… he tried to kill my dad. I attacked him, got him off my dad and stabbed him. Got my dad here. End of story."

He turned to Mellissa and asked for the third time, "Have they said anything?"

"Mr. Stillnski," said the deputy not in the know about the supernatural.

"It's Stiles, Carl, you've known me for five years. Can you ask me the questions without sounding like a douche while I'm waiting to find out if my dad is going to live?" Stiles said, his voice sounded dead as he looked past them both into the hall as if he were trying to see his father through the walls.

"That still doesn't explain how you were there without shoes on or where the knife came from." the deputy said and there was no doubt in the other occupants in the room at his tone that he was more than willing to lay the blame for the Sheriff's injuries and the death of the vagrant squarely at the younger Stilinski's feet.

The teen seemed to turn that gaze on the offending deputy as he replied, "My dad was hungry and I couldn't sleep. He came by the house I made him some lunch the knife was to cut the sandwich I made him. I jumped in the car with him as he was going on his rounds, I was dressed for bed," he said indicating the pajamas he was wearing with the hand that didn't have a blood pressure cuff wrapped around it.

"I assume by your tone that you wear shoes when you go to bed. We were talking and then we saw the crazy man on the side of the road," Stiles said absently.

"Did he finish the food?" the deputy asked.

"What?" Stiles said irritably. Then when he realized what the other man said he thought for a moment before saying, "No, he barely touched it."

"Then where is this supposed sandwich?" The deputy as though he had caught a perp up in their lie, and is presenting the evidence in front of a courtroom. "It wasn't in the cruiser or near the body."

"How the hell should I know?" Stiles exploded, and suddenly he was off the table and in the deputies face. "I don't give a flying fuck about the sandwich. I was trying to get my dad to the hospital before he bled out. You have the murder weapon it's still in the asshole's throat. Did I kill him? YES! To save my dad's life, I'd do it again. Do I care where the stupid frigging sandwich is, NO!"

"I do not care where the sandwich is. Maybe the asshole ate it before he died, maybe it got shoved out of the car, when I was trying to get my dad's bloody body into the car, or maybe a bloody raccoon stole it. I don't know and I don't care, now get lost." With that he was out the door and standing outside the door to the exam room his father was currently in.

There were several medical personnel swarming around his father working hard to keep his only family alive. There was a commotion down the hall which he ignored until he couldn't anymore. Carl the douche was apparently intent on either arresting him or tapering him, he couldn't really tell.

Jordan, or Deputy Parrish was wrestling with the slightly bigger man, trying to get the hot head under control. Mellissa was trapped behind them, trying to get around the struggling duo. Carl tried to take a swing at Jordan and hit Mama McCall in the face. Anger flashed through Stiles and the fox who was riding just beneath the surface. Striding purposefully down the hall Stiles reached for Mellissa's arm with one hand to help her up and the other was suddenly on Carl's side, and the man hit the floor like a bag of rocks.

"Oops," Stiles said under his breath but he had a feeling that both Mellissa and Parrish heard him. When Mellissa was upright again he very gently turned her face to the side and looked at where the deputy had struck her.

The skin was already swelling and darkening, and Stiles made an odd chirping noise in his throat. The sound made the hairs stand up and the skin pimple with goosebumps to all who heard it. The teen sat Mellissa in a nearby chair, despite her protests, Parrish was still trying to get the idiot deputy under control.

Stiles was suddenly in the deputy's face again and said "Deputy, when my father gets better, and he will get better, expect to be in the unemployment line. Of course that's after we press charges for excessive brutality."

"Stiles, don't." Mellissa said quietly, "I'm sure it was an accident."

"If he wasn't in a violent mood," Stiles said, "he wouldn't have been fighting against Parrish so hard and you wouldn't have been hit." the teen said, unaware his eyes were glowing an amber color, "Isn't that right deputy?" He asked and there was no mistaking the fear in the older man's eyes. Even though he didn't answer Stiles backed away and drew a deep calming breath before telling Parrish, "Take his gun and badge." When everyone in the hall started to protest, Stiles responded, "It's what my dad would do. Come on Mel, let's go get you an ice pack."

 **XXXXXXXXX**

About a half an hour later, Parrish has returned alone. When Stiles catches the other mans eye, there is a moment of silent communication. Apology from both, understanding, and gratitude, to varying degrees and support from the young deputy. From then on it was like the deputy simply stood against the wall. Out of the way as Stiles paced outside of the exam room.

Then there was added commotion inside of the exam room and suddenly the stretcher his father was on was being whisked out of the room and down the hall. Stiles followed behind and did his best to stay out of the way of the group while still listening in. "Nicked a vein," "Lost a lot of blood." "What the hell did the guy use?" "Four units of…" Suddenly Scott was in his way and in his face.

It was all Stiles could do to keep from throwing his friend into the nearest wall. The voice inside is head, reminded him, "You're smarter, faster and stronger than him. You could actually throw him through the wall." With that the teen pulled back a little, he felt the nogitsune like a buzzing of insects just under his skin. "Get out of my way Scott." he demanded as the other teen had hold of Stiles shoulders.

"No, we need to talk." Scott demands and looks around the nearly deserted hall. Giving Deputy Parrish an absent nod as he shakes Stiles slightly to get his attention.

"In case it's escaped your notice _Alpha_ ," Stiles says putting a sarcastic emphasis on the honorific, "My father is fighting for his life. That makes whatever you have to say of zero importance, even if it's an apology."

Scott's head reared back and he suddenly stares at his friend, "What are you wearing?"

At that Stiles does slam him into the wall using normal human strength, "Seriously Scott my father is fighting for his life and you want to discuss my fashion choices? Seriously? Unbelievable." The teen says incredulously before heading down the hall in the wake of his father.

When suddenly he is slammed against the wall with almost werewolf force and once again Scotty is in his face looking like an angry puppy, "I said we need to talk and what do you mean I owe you an apology?"

"Do you not remember what Derek said. Werewolves have been protecting Beacon Hills since before there was a town here. Where were you Scott? My dad got mauled by another werewolf and you didn't even know there was a rogue anywhere near your territory." Stiles hissed angrily at his friend. Trying hard to keep his voice down as his ire at his friend rose.

Then he saw the irritation on his friends face turn to guilt and Stiles gut froze. "You knew." he said coldly. He saw Parrish stiffen out of the corner of his eye. When the deputy stepped toward the pair, Stiles held up his hand to warn Jordan off even as he continued coldly, "You knew the rogue was in town, didn't you?"

When the young Alpha opened his mouth, Stiles saw his friends eyes shift to the right, could practically feel the ;ie coming through the vibration of his skin and said in a low tone, "Don't lie to me Scott, you never could lie."

"Who did you tell? Who did you tell about the rogue, Scott, hmm?" Stiles said and his face was set in a grim expression. The guilty look was back on his friends face but he stubbornly refused to answer. Until the grim look suddenly became rage and Scott found himself held against the wall in Stiles place and was two inches off the ground, "Answer me," he demanded.

"I told Deaton," Scott answered reluctantly. "He said the rogue was just passing through and that we didn't have to risk ourselves just to go after something that was just passing through." Scott explained, "I told Liam and Kira to stay in tonight, figured he' be out of town by tomorrow morning."

Stiles released the compulsion he had on Scott with a sick sense of awareness of what the wolf wasn't saying, "Let me guess Kira is waiting for you back at your house?" Again the guilt, and Stiles said harshly, "So let's get this straight, you told your Beta, your emissary and your new Mate. That's it?"

"You didn't bother to tell Lydia, me, Jordan, my dad, Malia, hell you didn't even warn your own mother of the danger. You left an Alpha rogue wandering around our streets? Did Deaton tell you not to warn us?" Stiles yelled no longer trying to keep his voice down. The other teen could only shake his head as he tried to pull Stiles hands away, and failed.

Scott finds himself slammed to the ground and sliding a few feet to end up at the feet of his mother. His mother who has a horrified expression on her face as she stares down at her son. That expression for some reason makes him angry and he rears up on his elbows and glares at the retreating back of his friend, "Stiles!" he shouts and the other teen freezes right beside Parrish. Who is glaring at Scott his eyes glowing orange.

"If he's been bitten and he turns and can't control it…" Scott says, and he feels something skitter down his spine but refuses to classify it as fear. After all this is Stiles, "We may have to put him down," His mother hisses behind him.

Stiles turns slowly to face him and for a split second, he swears there is something wrong with his friends eyes. The amber eyes changed into an almost inky darkness, before Stiles says disbelievingly, "You're telling me to cover up your unmitigated stupidity…You'd kill my father, just in case…" Stiles stares at his friend and finds the lifelong affection and brotherly love he felt for the other gone. Burned to ash in his heart and blown away on the cold icy breeze that replace it in the empty spot.

"The man helped raise you Scott. When your old man flaked, my dad stepped in. He taught you how to ride a bike, play ball, drive a car. My father, who I told you I cannot live without, you want to kill…no you want to _put down."_

His voice is quieter, cold and venomous as he says, "Guess we should be glad I didn't have that attitude when you were bit by that rogue Alpha way back when. Otherwise you would be just a pelt on the floor or a head on the wall somewhere, huh?"

Scott is struck speechless for a few seconds but carries on. Not really hearing the cold hatred in the other mans voice as he spoke, "Stiles, he's a danger."

"No Scott, he's my dad." Stiles says in a quietly decisive voice. "The only danger here is the Alpha."

"I thought…Mom said.. You killed the Alpha," said Scott in confusion, "Which by the way how did you do that?"

Stiles ignored the final question as he said, "I did. He's not the Alpha I was talking about," The teen looked back over his shoulder at the deputy still standing there supportively and said, "Deputy Parrish? Did you just hear this man make death threats against my father?"

Jordan's eyes suddenly went professional and deadly as he said, "Yes I did." He says stepping to the end of the hall for a moment.

"Stiles, calm down," Scott said in a tone that Stiles knew if he had any wolf in him would have had him showing his throat to the other teen.

"I'm not a wolf Scott, and apparently, since I nor my family were warned of the danger? Yeah, that means you consider me an Omega. Which means, I'm no longer part of your Pack."

At that Parrish comes back around the corner, followed closely by two burly orderlies and another deputy, a female. They parted around Stiles and headed for the other teen who was still on the floor as the deputy said, "Mr. McCall, as I have heard you make terroristic death threats against the Sheriff of this town. I am arresting you for making criminal threats." With that he pulled Scott to his feet and applied a pair of handcuffs behind the younger mans back.

"Mom," the teen cried sounding younger than his seventeen years and then he gave his best friend a pleading look as he called, "Stiles, do you really want to ruin my life?"

Stiles gave a mirthless bark of laughter, before saying, "Really Scott. You want my help saving your life. When you want to kill my dad? Exactly how do you not think that would ruin him or me?!" he demanded and then turned and walked away. Determined to find where his dad was, and put Scott McCall behind him.

When his dad recovered, if he recovered it was up to the old man whether he forgave Scott or not. If he didn't it was going to be the fox who took care of Scott.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N~ Thanks everyone for the favorites, follows and reviews. Here is the next chapter and I hope you guys are still enjoying the story. Please continue to review and follow the story. Scott bashing and maternal aggravation ahead. Warning I have been ill lately, next chapter may be delayed, we'll say Tuesday for right now but it may be a little later. Enjoy everyone. ~A**

 **Chapter 3**

 _Or to take arms against a sea of troubles_

 _The Rogue, the Kanima, the Alpha Pack,_

 _The Darach, assassins, Benefactor, Berserkers, Kate, enough._

 _And by opposing, end them._

Mellissa was exhausted, a little shell shocked and furious. It made for a wired and hostile combination. So when the deputy told her that she would have to wait until after the arraignment to bail out her sheriff threatening son. The nurse was quite sure she was going to pummel someone, she just wasn't sure if it would be the deputy or her son.

When she asked oh so politely through clenched teeth, when the arraignment would be. The deputy perhaps remembering that this was the woman who saw to every patient that came in from the sheriffs department as a matter of principle; found it prudent to get the information post haste.

"Yes ma'am, your son will be arraigned at 10 am, It might have been earlier but the sheriffs son is first on the docket." the deputy gossiped.

"What Stiles why?" Mellissa asked, her tired brain not connecting the dots.

"Well he did kill the man who attacked his father and while everyone is sure that it was self defense, there's still the formality. Then there is the matter of Deputy Hansen," the deputy then added under her breath, "The douche'."

The deputy seeing she may have heard that last statement continued, "Don't get me wrong, Carl is a good deputy most of the time. He just has no people skills and he and the Sheriff have been at odds lately. He's kind of an us against them attitude lately and thinks law enforcement should stick together against the citizens, even when they do something wrong. The Sheriff doesn't agree with that and has told Carl that often. Carl though he just doesn't listen and now he's accusing Stiles of assault. Parrish already told everyone what really happened last night." The deputy's eyes lingered on Mellissa's face and she said, with a flush on her own face, "Would you like an ice pack for that ma'am?"

Mellissa's hand went up to her temple and checked where the hot swelling made her flinch slightly. She had nearly forgotten the bruise that the deputy had given her. The nurse in her who on a practical level understood the accident that had caused the bruise fell away and the woman with maternal instincts for an amber eyed hyperactive little boy came to the fore.

She didn't understand all of the aspects of this supernatural life her kids lived, but they were her kids. The fact that her flesh and blood son didn't think to warn the sheriff, his best friend, or herself was something she would be hashing out along and along, somehow. The fact that her unofficially adopted son had tried to protect her and defend her from the brutish deputy and now the ass was bringing charges against said son. Yeah not gonna happen on her watch. "When does Stiles trial start?" The female deputy looked at her watch and then down at the paperwork in front of her and said, "You still have an hour ma'am. If I might suggest, Diana's is right around the corner and right across from the courthouse. They have some of the best coffee in town, even their decaf is good and they have great breakfasts. Tell them Jo sent you and they'll fix you right up."

Mellissa thanked the deputy and decided to walk to the café. She needed the fresh air and movement to stimulate her brain. She walked into the café and remembered it as a place the kids had brought her on occasion. Usually after they had a particularly trying event followed by a hard won victory.

The woman behind the counter glanced up and her face morphed into a fierce protectiveness. "Edna," she called into the kitchen, "bring me that bag of frozen peas." She quickly came around the edge of the counter and very carefully taking Mellissa's arm took her over to a booth. Taking Melissa's purse she placed it on the opposite side as Mellissa sat down. "Your Stiles friends mom right?"

When Mellissa nodded a little bewildered, The woman gave a smile that transformed her face, "Diana, I own the café. That boy is in here practically every other day, so's his dad. That sheriff, what a hottie, eh. If I wasn't already with someone I think I just might go straight for him."

"I heard that," the other woman Edna said affectionately as she brought the bag of peas to the table and took a bottle of ibuprofen out of her apron pocket. She set it on the table followed by a glass of water being set by Mellissa's hand as Diana continued. That idiot Carl needs a good swift kick to the seat of his pants."

"Followed quickly by a good sharp knife to his crotch," Edna added before heading back to the kitchen. "Hands to yourself where the Sheriff is concerned, doll face."

"Ignore her," Diana said affectionately, "She doesn't really mean it."

"The hell I don't. That cretin has been a menace to society ever since he got that badge. About time someone put him in his place. Take her order Diana. Whatever she wants it's on the house. Night she's had she deserves that and more."

Diana merely rolled her eyes and said, "Leaded fully loaded, with the kick start right?"

Mellissa smiled a little surprised but nodded her head in appreciation to the other woman. Diana went behind the counter again and pulled a huge cup from under the counter, filled it three quarters full of aromatic coffee. Followed closely by 4 spoons of sugar, then filled almost to the brim with real cream and sprinkled with cinnamon on top.

"I can't believe you remembered," Mellissa said just inhaling the caffeinated beverage at first.

"Course I do. When you had it the one time and Stiles tried it, he's had it this way ever since. He said you were a nurse, he figured you would know the best way to have your coffee strong enough for medicinal purposes and still be legal, short of an IV of course."

Mellissa nearly snorted the hot liquid up her nose as she laughed while savoring the coffee. "Course he also on occasion will add extra sugar. Edna figured she'd have to pry him off the ceiling with a spatula on those days."

She actually did laugh so hard that bruise started throbbing a little bit, but she decided it was worth it. "So have you decided what you'll be having this morning?" Diana asked easily.

Inspired Mellissa asked, "What does Stiles usually have for breakfast?"

"His special? He gets three eggs your choice of ways, grits or hash browns, toast or biscuit, and either bacon, sausage, or ham."

"Good grief, he eats that all by himself?" she asked before remembering some of the boy's meals at her house.

"That's nothing you should see what he has at dinner time," Diana said with a laugh.

"Does Jo from the Sheriff's office have a special?" Mellissa asked thoughtfully. Remembering what the deputy had said about mentioning her name.

Diana's eyes warmed slightly, "Yes, she does. Vegetarian omelet with cheese, fluffy with veggie scattered hash, crispy. Whole wheat toast with strawberry jam when they've had a really bad night. Which it looks like you've had, how's that sound?"

"Perfect but no toast, I may regret it later but the hash browns sound fine maybe not so crisp," she said indicating the bruise on her face.

The older woman merely nodded and said, "Yep, should have thought of that, sorry. But coming right up," before heading back to put the order in.

While she was gone Mellissa took three of the Ibuprofen and downed them with the water. She thought about calling her dentist but since she didn't know how long she'd be in court retrieving her boys, she decided against it for the time being. Not to mention she still had a lot of other bills to pay, including bail.

She tiredly remembered the yelling match between the two boys who were best friends. Scott hadn't warned anyone but Kira and Liam. Not his mother or his best friend, or the man who had been a father too him after Rafael had been kicked out. Which brought to mind the latest father figure in Scott's life Deaton.

Alan Deaton with his enigmatic and all to peaceful demeanor. He gave information by the dropper full but had enough control over his son to make him forget common sense if not even good manners. An Alpha rogue going through town wasn't a big deal. Had the boy forgotten the last time a rogue Alpha was in town? Her son was bitten and became a werewolf, Lydia was bitten and gratefully didn't die when the bite was rejected. Several people were brutally murdered, and it wasn't a big deal. "Here's your food honey."

Only Diana's quick reflexes saved the half full glass of water from being knocked completely off the table as Mellissa startled. Putting the glass out of reach for the moment Diana asked, "You okay honey? Sorry didn't mean to startle you, like that." The older woman said as she quickly wiped up where the water had splashed out of the glass.

"No, its fine just lost in my own thoughts," Mellissa said with an uneasy smile as she lifted the fork ad took a bite of the omelet and moaned. The eggs and cheese melted in her mouth to leave the delicately seasoned vegetables, slightly crisp to give the textural difference but soft enough not to bother her sore jaw.

The woman laughed softly and said, "I'll let Edna know you liked it. She gets excited when people like the food."

Mellissa spent the next several minutes concentrating on the delicious meal. Which kept her mind off of the impending court cases. That and the fact a man she had considered one of her best friends was lying in the hospital severely wounded with possibly life threatening injuries because of her son and his so-called mentor.

 **XXXXXXXXX**

Derek parked the Range Rover behind the building that held his loft. He sat in the SUV for several minutes, lost in memories of the past several weeks. When he and Braeden had left the others in Mexico, he had been secure in his decision.

Scott was the new Alpha, a true Alpha, one who had started to gather his pack long before he ever became an Alpha. Like any Alpha he was confident and secure in his choices, unfortunately sometimes he was so secure in those decisions that he left the rest of his friends and allies out of his plans, sometimes with tragic results.

Of course Derek did the same thing. Strangely enough both men had benefited from their mutual secret weapon. Stiles Stilinski. The teen who had once told Derek that he took Adderall to prevent what he called his perpetual motion mode

Derek had simply looked at the younger man as he usually did with annoyance.

Even as the teen continued on to explain that this ran out usually after two hours. Then he would just pretty much go catatonic after that, Derek just gave him an even more grumpy, annoyed look.

Two weeks later the boys perpetual motion mode saved Derek from drowning in a pool after being paralyzed by the kanima. He wanted to tell the teen how grateful he was but things had snowballed from there and he never got the chance.

Stiles plan to save Jackson from being the kanima, was a relief after Scott's betrayal and he and Peter had felt the need to kill Jackson in order to save everyone else. Derek was ashamed to admit that he had nearly forgotten he had given the boy the Bite. He felt relieved because Paige was one innocent too many whose blood was on his hands. He had wanted to tell Stiles how grateful he was but the teen looked as if he had been through hell.

He didn't find out till much later when he overheard Lydia arguing with Allison. Apparently the young huntress had lured Scott away and Stiles had been taken and tortured by Gerard. To find out where he Derek was, apparently the old man had been very frustrated that the "pansy" had not only resisted his interrogation but had also managed to escape. Lydia had threatened to call the sheriff and Allison had threatened to tell him about his son being involved with all of the freaky stuff that happened around town. Standoff.

Even more recently Derek knew it was Stiles who had found his location after he had been kidnapped. He also knew when he had been stabbed by the Berserker and lay there dying that Stiles had wanted to stay. The expression in the other's eyes had shown just how torn he was.

Derek sighed as he pulled himself and his duffle bag out of the SUV, pulling the right key out to unlock the door to the building he owned. The heat of the day was bad enough, driving in it from Colorado was very much an experiment in insanity or desperation. In his case he wasn't sure which it was, probably a little of both.

As he trudged up to the loft the realized that the hallways the entire building smelled of Stiles. True it had only been a few weeks but the area should have smelled more unused than it did. He pulled the loft door aside, half expecting to see the young human inside. He wasn't there but he had been.

There were several boxes with jars on the table and a large ceramic bowl with several ingredients. Stiles was apparently either doing a spell or creating a potion. Although he wasn't as good with magic as Peter, he imagined he might be able to tell the sell ingredients if he inhaled deeply.

Considering some of heir enemies were susceptible to mistletoe, wolves bane and mountain ash, and he wasn't really feeling suicidal, he decided against it. If he hadn't seen the makeshift lab he still would have been able to tell Stiles had been there. The emotional markers and scents were very clearly Stiles and they reminded him all to well of when the teen had been possessed of the fox spirit.

The doubt, the despair, the salt of his tears, the tang of fear, it was all there. It was all there and it seemed to be concentrated in his bed. Some of the scents around his loft were older but the table and the bed had apparently were where Stiles had been spending a lot of time in the past few days.

Derek was honest enough to admit that he had been running on fumes the last few hours. His mental and physical exhaustion were too much to focus on the problem at hand. Food and rest but first a shower. Derek dropped his signature leather jacket on the foot of the bed, toed off his boots and fishing the few remaining clean clothes out of his duffle he headed to the bathroom.

 **XXXXXXXXX**

Mellissa McCall was even more embarrassed and angry then she thought she would be. She had vouched for Stiles at the ludicrous trial. So had Jordan Parrish, when the deputy who had struck her had complained that it didn't matter that Stiles was the Sheriff's son.

The judge agreed that it didn't matter, but he reminded the deputy that it also didn't give the deputy the right to strike two unarmed civilians. The deputy claimed that he hadn't attacked anyone. His complaints were taken with a grain of salt considering the shiner that Melissa was sporting. The case was dismissed.

Stiles had wanted to stay for Mellissa through Scott's court case but the nurse and mother in her could see that the teen was well on his way to collapse and told him to go home and get some sleep before going back to the hospital. More like ordered, threatened, and possibly begged.

The boy exited the courtroom about five minutes before her own son made an appearance. When he heard Scott's name and looked up to find the woman now sitting behind the defendant once again, the judge shook his head and muttered something to the effect of, "Only in Beacon Hills."

After Melissa vouched for her son with the judge, the older man had let the young Alpha off with a warning and a threat that if he went anywhere near the sheriff or his son, he'd find himself sitting in jail instead of attending his high school graduation.

Scott didn't need his werewolf senses to know his mother was furious and perhaps for the first time since becoming a True Alpha Scott was actually terrified. Needless to say the trip back to their home was completed in silence.

When they finally arrived at the house, Mellissa led them to the kitchen and with a hand gesture that had her son sitting at the kitchen table in a flash. Taking his life into his own hands, Scott began explaining and making excuses. When he got to the part where he thought that Stiles was back under the influence of the Nogitsune, his mother stopped him angrily.

"If Stiles were the Nogitsune, why didn't he just let the werewolf kill his father?" Melissa asked angrily.

"If he wasn't the Nogitsune, how else could Stiles defeat the Alpha?" said Scott with equal conviction.

The seed of doubt was planted.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N~ It was supposed to be a cure for writers block but has taken on a life of its own. Glad everyone is enjoying it and it's still keeping me motivated and out of any block issues. Thanks guys and continue to review. Remember T rating, so foul language and other dark themes should be expected. ~A**

 **Chapter 4**

For the second time in as many days, Stiles swears he's going to find someone that can fix the service elevator at the other end of the building. Climbing three flights of stairs after the past few days he's had is getting exhausting. His brain was even more fuzzy than usual as he walked into the loft.

He made his way to the table in front of the window, clinking as he went. He tried to snort in amusement at the noise he was making, it ended up being more of a sniffle. He added the jars from his pockets to the supplies in the cardboard box, he then pulled a sheet of notebook paper out of his pocket and marked a few items off of his list.

"Damn it I'll still have to visit the bastard before I can save my dad." he hissed as he put his hands down on the side of the table and leaned against them He fought the tears that burned in his eyes for release. "and damn you too Derek Hale. You picked a fine time to be an absentee Pack parent, again."

Raising a hand to rub across his forehead where pain ached persistently, Stiles sighed, "Ok yet another reason to wish you were here, next to my dad, you're probably the only one who could keep me from ripping Deaton's throat out with my teeth."

As he pulled himself tiredly on top of the work table next to the box, he said in a snide one, "Yep," he said with extra emphasis on the p, as he lowered himself to lie on the rough surface of the table, "yet more evidence of the split personality, I'm wishing you were here, but I alternate between cursing you cause you're not and begging you to be here. Peachy." he said his voice fading into nothingness as he dozed off without actually intending to as tears still sparkled on his lashes and cheeks.

Derek levered himself up from the bed where he had been laying since Stiles had come in. Aware exactly how worn out or distracted the teen was if he had completely missed the former Alpha's presence in the loft. Derek studied the teen for a minute.

The teen had actually changed a bit, there was more muscle on his frame. Not to Derek's standards perhaps but he didn't look as gangly as he used to. The hair was still longer than when the werewolf had first met him. There was a little more maturity to the face, and yes he was still too attractive for Derek's state of mind.

Then the werewolf went back over what Stiles had said. The bastard apparently was Deaton and Stiles had to visit him to save his father, save him from what? Derek had lost his phone during a battle with a pack of hell hounds that had been terrorizing a border community. He hadn't been able to communicate with anyone since.

That was part of the reason that he was back in Beacon Hills. Several immigrant families had created a community in the desert where they managed to eek out a living. Apparently one of them was the son of a shaman, and had recognized that an old Indian burial ground nearby and had paid the proper respects and tributes too. The land they were on was unclaimed and through careful saving and commerce with roadside stands and small shops had purchased the land of their community and the burial ground.

Apparently a mining company had done a satellite survey and discovered a large pocket of some kind of rare mineral. Suddenly the community was inundated with surveyors and company men who were trampling all over the sacred ground despite the warnings and recriminations. That's when the attacks started. The company men were attacked sometimes in broad daylight and ripped to shreds.

They blamed the townspeople and several members of the town counsel were targeted. Braeden and he had found themselves on opposite sides of the conflict. As a former Federal Marshall she sided against the illegal immigrants and thought they were sending the hell hounds to protect land she thought they shouldn't own in the first place. Derek said legal or illegal they owned the land just like anyone else. Within two days of their arrival they found themselves under attack y the hell hounds. Derek lost his phone and during the same attack Braeden had been bitten.

According to the shaman's son she had two weeks left to live. Even as she had laid in the hospital two towns over, Derek had smelled her body begin to decay around her. The old man had no idea how to save her or if it was even possible. That was three days ago, Derek had to have the vehicle repaired as

It had been damaged in the last attack by the hell hounds.

Derek had decided he didn't really care about the mining people and since the residents of the small community were safe from the hell hounds he was intent on saving Braeden. He was here to ask Stiles to do research to see if there was a cure and to ask Deaton for help as well. Apparently getting the two men to work together was going to be difficult if not impossible, but for Braeden's sake he had to try.

Which brought him back to what had happened to Stiles father, the Sheriff was very capable. If Stiles had to get Deaton's help though, Derek imagined that the supernatural was involved somehow. Derek looked down at the sleeping teen and noticed the pallor and purplish bruising under his eyes, the younger man looked exhausted. Then Derek remembered Braeden and how bad she looked, and what was happening to her.

"Stiles," he said rather softly so as not to startle the boy. It didn't work. He felt the knife at his throat before his mind even registered that the teenager had moved. He didn't move.

Stiles blinked several times as though clearing his sleep fogged mind and then a look of concern and fear came across his face. Followed swiftly by a sound that erupted from his throat that had the hairs on the back of his neck standing out from his skin. The sound was almost like Stiles was trying to talk to him, so fast he couldn't be understood.

He did something he hadn't done in ages. He cupped the back of Stiles neck and squeezed gently, reassurance, support, comfort. The gesture meant all of these things and more to a wolf. He hoped the boy who knew more about werewolves than he did would understand that.

Stiles moved in and touched their foreheads together fore several minutes. He drew deep breaths in through his nose before slowly leaning forward and nuzzling into the juncture between neck and shoulder and rubbed his face there for several seconds, scent marking Derek. Tension melted out of the younger mans shoulders before he whispered, "Derek." He drew in an even deeper breath before even more tension seemed to ease from his shoulders. "Really you, not a dream?"

The werewolf merely rumbled and Stiles pulled his head back until their foreheads touched again. He never looked into the older mans eyes, instead he proceeded to give a rundown of what had been happening since Derek had disappeared into the desert with Braeden, including the Rogue Alpha and the attack on his father, and Scott's betrayal.

Derek said sadly, "He jumped the gun, but he isn't wrong about if your dad can't control it. Your dad is a man of discipline though or he wouldn't have reached the position he has as Sheriff otherwise."

"I'm not going to let it get that far, I've got a plan." Stiles said confidently.

"One of the most frightening statements known to mankind," Derek said with a snort.

Stiles looked at the bearded man with his mouth hanging open. "Oh wow, Sourwolf got jokes. Who are you and what have you done with Derek Hale?"

"Yeah well you and I both need to go to Deaton, so we'll do that in a few hours when the sun actually comes up," Derek suggested helpfully.

"What? Why are you going? Are you hurt?" Stiles starts searching the werewolf for wounds, with desperate concentration.

"Not for me, for Braeden," Derek replied absently.

"Oh yeah, Braeden. Had wondered where she was. What happened to her?" Stiles said with such a marked drop in concern that Derek stared at him a little strangely.

Derek heaved a sigh as he rotated his neck with several resounding cracks. "Let's talk about it tomorrow, right now I'm kind of tired and if you fell asleep on top of a table then you definitely need some more sleep. Come on" he said as he almost dragged the other teen off of the table and over to the bed

"I don't know what Scott's deal is. Ever since he became the true Alpha, he's acting like I'm clueless. He seems to have forgotten who it was who researched the whole lycanthropy thing. Sure he fought me the whole way because he didn't really want to be the werewolf, but I thought he would eventually turn around. He didn't do that until he became the True Alpha, then it was I'm the True Alpha, here me roar, and screw anybody else's ideas or insights. Heck half the time he doesn't even listen to Lydia and she's a frigging genius."

Derek's brows knit as Stiles continued to comment on the "douchiness" of his former best friend, particularly the part where Scott had threatened his father by saying they should go ahead and kill the Sheriff before it was too late.

He reminded the teen that not unlike himself, Scott hadn't been trained to be an Alpha, he was for lack of a better way of putting it, playing Alpha

Even as he was pulled down on the bed by the former Alpha, Stiles continued to fight to stay awake and argue his point. "Yeah, but he thinks after all these years and all the things that we've been through, that at this point I can't figure out how to fight off and kill a rogue Alpha to save my dad's life? Unbelievable!" the teen said with exasperation. Derek could tell how really tired the teen because the usual hyperactive movements were nearly non-existent.

Stiles concluded what he had been talking about by saying, "You made a better Alpha than he does as a True Alpha and he has the advantage apparently of Deaton instructing him."

"Whereas Deaton apparently didn't feel the need to impart said knowledge to the heir to the Hale pack who he was supposed to be the emissary for the whole time." Stiles said in a hostile tone.

"That was at least partially my fault Stiles, it was my choice not to listen to Deaton. I thought he should have been there for my family when Kate attacked. He told me I should listen to others, and I'm still finding it hard to do that, now stop talking, stop thinking for a while and just rest." the werewolf said before turning over and trying to go back to sleep.

"Did you know," Stiles began only to have Derek turn over and pull the smaller man closer to him. With one arm he flipped the teen so that they were spooning.

"Stiles, whatever it is, is it so important you can't wait until in the morning to tell me?" Derek asked in a quieter voice than usual.

Stiles thought about that before answering, "No."

Then it can keep until morning. Is there anything that can't keep until morning?" Derek continued in that same soft tone as he pulled Stiles a little closer and nuzzled into his pillow.

Once again Stiles actually thought before answering, "Yeah, one thing," Derek hummed a little irritably for Stiles to continue, "I'm really glad you're back."

Derek took a deep breath before responding, "Yeah, me too."

 **XXXXXXXXX**

The next morning Derek awakens to the scent of freshly made coffee brewing and bacon. He walks into the kitchenette to find Stiles putting the last of the bacon onto a napkin covered plate to drain the grease. He poured most of the remaining grease from the pan into a waiting cup and then poured already scrambled eggs into the pan on the hot plate.

The kitchenette had always been a dark and grungy place. Stiles had apparently been planning on doing something to improve it though. There were marks in blue, red and black all over the walls. Stiles was scrambling eggs when Derek asked, "So you got any plans?"

"Told you, go see Deaton, save my dad, save the world and apparently end a lifelong friendship," he said in a slightly high-pitched tone before looking up at Derek to see the other man had actually been looking at the marks all over the walls. "Oh yeah that," he said waving the spatula in a haphazard kind of way, not really answering the question but going back to scrambling the eggs.

He then folded the eggs onto another plate before saying, "You wanna grab the bacon and silverware," he picked up another plate with toast on it. Leading the way back into the loft, he headed over to the planning table where a couple of stools had already been set and Stiles had already moved the boxes out of the way.

When Derek set the plates down Stiles went back into the kitchenette and brought out two tumblers and a pitcher of grape juice and set them down. He smiled a little shyly as he poured the juice, "I remember you said you preferred grape."

"Yeah, I do, thanks," The werewolf watched as Stiles divvied the food between the two of them before saying, "Trying to butter me up with food Stiles?" he asked.

"Trying to engender some good will with you is all." Stiles said quickly as he snatched up some of the bacon and began nibbling. "I figure I'm gonna need it over the next few days."

"Stiles, we're Pack, more good will you could not get from me," Derek said as he enjoyed the fluffy eggs.

"You sure about that?" asked the brunette as he stared at the older man and continued, "I mean about both the good will and the fact I'm pack?"

"What are you talking about Stiles of curse your part of Scott's pack. You were part of his Pack before he ever even became an Alpha or even before I knew he had a Pack." Derek said with casual gentleness, and patted Stiles arm with his free hand.

His hand remained there for longer as he continued, "You've always been there for me and mine, you are part of my Pack too. You've been a good friend even when I didn't deserve it. You _are_ my friend Stiles, nothing will change that," he said with a smile as he drew his hand back to grab another piece of toast.

"Not even if I end up killing your Alpha because he's a poophead?" asked the amber-eyed teen and while the question was asked in a light-hearted tone. His eyes were flat, serious and a little sad.

"You don't mean that Stiles," Derek said softly as he studied the suddenly still younger man.

"If it comes to choosing between my dad and my former best friend, I'll choose my dad. Matter of fact, I am choosing my dad, choosing to cure him. Pretty sure Scott hasn't even figured that out yet, so yeah I do mean t." Stiles said as he began shoveling the food into his mouth. Less as if he's enjoying the meal and more as if he knows it may be the last meal he's getting and he knows he needs the sustenance for what's coming.

"Stiles, you can't cure lycanthropy," Derek said carefully placing his fork on his plate as he studied his companion thoughtfully.

The younger Stilinski made a garbled answer and for a few seconds Derek was afraid that he was going to get choked on his food. "Can't cure born werewolves at all, can cure the bitten or clawed ones before the spirit of the wolf settles into the flesh of the recipient." Stiles said through the garble.

It took a few more seconds before Derek was properly able to interpret what Stiles had said, "What did you say?" he asked in a disbelieving tone.

"I can stop the wolf from settling in my dad," this more clear as he finished swallowing the mass of food he had stuffed into his mouth.

"That's impossible," Derek said harshly, "If it were possible my mother would have mentioned it to us. Or Deaton, or Peter or someone would have said something."

Stiles merely raised his eyebrow at the other and very deliberately took another bite of toast. Derek thought over what he had just said and then admitted reluctantly, "Ok maybe not Peter."

Stiles took a sip of grape juice still staring at the werewolf again, "Deaton's not the best at sharing information but still…my mom?"

"You really think _Alpha Hale_ would have passed on a cure for lycanthrope, that might get out to hunters. Hunters who might try to tinker with it to try and "cure the wolves." Stiles said firmly.

Derek heaved a sigh before admitting, "Ok when you put it that way…."

"Look, it's also possible she didn't know. I mean I had to do a lot of deep research to find this information. It's just as possible that she didn't know or that it had been lost over the ages," Stiles said as he finished the last bite of food.

"Why would you be looking for a spell or whatever to stop a werewolf spirit from settling anyway?" Derek asked, as he followed Stiles back into the kitchenette and stood helping him clean up the breakfast dishes.

"Why do you think?"

 **A/N/N~ To the Guest who doesn't have an account yet. Thank you for the kind words and I hope you do get an account or could you include a name even if it is an alias or pseudonym. I'm glad everyone including my Guest is enjoying this story. ~A**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N~ Hope everyone is still enjoying this, please let me know. I love reviews. More Scotty bashing. Sexual situations but no actual sexual interaction, not even touching. Language and sexual innuendo are rated T, may be sex in the next chapter so you are forewarned. Unbetaed so of course any mistakes are mine. Love you guys. ~A**

 **To Be or Nogitsune 5**

 _To die-to sleep-_

 _No more- and by a sleep_

 _To say we end._

 _So many lost Erica, Boyd,_

 _Allison and Aiden._

 _My father will not so end._

 _The heartache and_

 _the thousand natural shocks._

 _That flesh is heir to-_

 _Tis a consummation._

Stiles woke up alone in the loft, he sighed and cursed. "Fuck and now I'm back to dreaming about you, that's just great." He grabbed is backpack and the list of tings he needed from Deaton. Heading into the clinic early he didn't see an SUV waiting to turn into the industrial area on his way out.

He was refocused on his task, until his stomach growled. He rummaged one handed in the backpack settled in the passenger seat and nearly pulled into oncoming traffic as he said, "Oh yeah," as he pulled up a bent granola bar still in the wrapper.

He carefully worked to get the wrapper off and finally managed it as he pulled into the parking lot of the clinic. He was just finishing up the unsatisfying breakfast as the former Hale emissary pulled into the parking lot.

"Good morning Stiles," the ever unflappable Druid said, "What can I do for you?" He asked as he unlocked the back door to the clinic and let himself and the younger man in.

"Yeah, I actually have a list," Stiles said as he followed Deaton into one of the exam rooms. When the man turned to face him, Stiles literally shoved the list into his hands.

Deaton looked a little non-plussed but looked at the list and then his brows began to furrow, "This is a long list, and some of the items are valuable."

"I only need the things that are marked with a D, and I know you have them." Stiles said firmly.

"And how do you know that?" the vet asked looking up from the list into the teens eyes.

Stiles cocked his head to the side. "What you honestly thought Scott did the entire inventory on his own in one night?"

"Ah," Deaton said in understanding and mild disappointment. "The fact remains Stiles these components are expensive and dangerous. Since when have you been able to do magic?"

"Since someone gave me a bag of mountain ash and told me to believe. It's not Tinkerbell but I can make it work."

"Stiles, magic is not something to be played with,"

"Neither is a Rogue Alpha, but I didn't play with it. I killed it, to protect my dad," his eyes darkened as he said, "You know something that just occurred to me, you haven't asked me, how my dad is?" he stepped closer.

"Ever since yesterday everyone I've seen in passing has asked me how my father is, you didn't, why not? I mean, sorry I've spent enough time here helping out to know how the cat ladies can gossip, so I know you know about the attack. Hell Scott would have told you if nothing else, even if Mellissa grounded him for what happened at the hospital. What did he tell you to keep me here till he got here or to tamper with the bottles, poison my dad?"

Deaton looked decidedly nervous now… suddenly a banded bundle of cash hit the vet in the chest. The older man caught it automatically and looked down at it, before looking at the entrance to the exam room. "Did you know that there are times you can tell someone is going to lie before they even open their mouths?"

Stiles looked at him like a guppy, his mouth opening and closing for a minute before he gave a little grin and said, "Sorry, thought you were a dream."

Derek gave an embarrassed half grin that Stiles recognized as his flattered, embarrassed look, before saying, "I guess that's better than what you used to think of me,"

"Oh yeah definitely," he said with a grin of his own before Derek turned back to Deaton and said, indicating the money with a tilt of his chin, "That's for those expensive ingredients. Now I need to pick your brain and I hope you won't waste time trying to lie to me. Since it's to save your niece, you remember her Braeden?" Both Stiles and Deaton stared at him for a moment before Stiles began going about the office collecting the items on his list.

Even as he went about his business though the teen listened in to Derek's tale. The pair had been closing in on the Desert Wolf or so they were led to believe. They had been directed to a nearly abandoned town near the outskirts of Yellowstone in Montana.

As soon as they had entered the area, Derek had detected the strong scent of sulfur but because they were so close to Yellowstone he blamed it on the volcanic activity in the park. Instead they had been guided right into the lair of a she-demon who had two hell hounds as guardians. While Derek had been fighting with the she demon, Braeden had taken on the hell hounds and lost.

He needed a cure for the bite of a hell hound. Deaton was nearly as devastated as Derek when he told the werewolf that there was no cure for the bite of a hell hound. Within two weeks Braeden would be dead. Three days later her soul would be collected by the hell hound that had bitten her and taken to hell, and there was nothing they could do to save her.

Stiles shook his head and picked up a few extra things, while Deaton was making some phone calls not to try and find someone who might know a cure but to notify others in his family of Braeden's death. Just as if she were already dead. Instead of saying anything to the druid, he took Derek by the arm and left the clinic.

"You should have asked me," Stiles said a little huffily as he carefully put things into his Jeep.

Derek looked a bit disoriented as he asked, "Should have asked you what?"

"If I could help Braeden," Stiles said as he slammed the door on his jeep and turned to face the werewolf.

Thinking it was some kind of joke, Derek shrugged his shoulders and said, "Ok, fine, Stiles can you help Braeden?"

"Yes I think I can." he nearly laughed as Derek stood there with his mouth hanging open, "Did you know that to Deaton's knowledge of witches, druids, sparks, and other magic wielding creatures; there hasn't been a new spell written in over two decades. Did you know that most of those were really just tweaks to old spells?"

"Really new magic, there hasn't been a really new spell in nearly fifty years." He said as he began to pace between Derek and his Jeep. "For my dad, this spell is a tweak, but the Berserkers and Scott being possessed gave me a lot of ideas for spells and the more I read the Bestiary, the more ideas I got. Why'd you leave this morning?"

It took Derek a full two minutes to not only wrap his head around what Stiles was saying, before he caught up to the question. He looked into his own SUV and said, with a sheepish look, "I went to get breakfast, which is probably cold, congealed and inedible by now." He opened the door and pulled out a bag that was indeed grease stained. "Which reminds me I need to clean out my fridge before the contents complete their reproductive cycle and start the next Apocalypse."

The last startled a snort out of Stiles, followed by a round of laughter, the laughter though went on too long and was too high-pitched and Derek recognized it for what it was, a long-needed release. When the younger man nearly fell to his knees Derek caught him and Stiles was suddenly sobbing in his arms.

Holding Stiles with one arm, Derek locked his own SUV and after moving the box with spell ingredients to the back of the Jeep moved the younger Stilinski into the passenger seat while quickly divesting him of his keys. He buckled him in and then went around and climbed into the drivers seat. He started the Jeep and after driving out of the parking lot he did something Stiles didn't expect. He took Stiles hand.

He spoke to Stiles quietly, "You need to rest, but you need to eat something first". He then headed to one of his fathers favorite places to eat, and considering they past at least three other places on the way to Diana's.

Derek was about to get out of the car, when Stiles finally said, "I need to get the potion ready. The de-possession had to occur within thirty six hours of the infection or it will become permanent. Hell hounds take longer just because demons are demony and want there prey to suffer more. Werewolves want their intended target to become a beta warrior sooner rather than later."

"I understand Stiles," Derek said, "and we will have the time to do that but it won't do any good if you haven't taken your meds or haven't slept long enough or you loose your focus."

"Yeah, okay," Stiles said as he climbed slowly out of the Jeep.

Derek saw people peering out of the café windows as they went towards the café and wondered if this might not have been a bad idea on his part.

"Scott's not in school, there's nobody there to enforce the restraining order. Scott will.."

"Not be getting to your father. Parrish is standing guard and when he's done the other deputies who are in the know and not Hansen will be on duty watching over your dad. Parrish is in charge until we know more. Relax, Stiles." The pair stood in the parking lot with the café looking on as Derek reassured Stiles.

The Alpha soothed him as Stiles looked up almost tearfully into the Alpha's eyes and said, "I just…I can't lose him Derek."

"You won't. Even if he does become a werewolf, we'll teach him control. He'll be the best of us."

"Thanks for that, Derek," Stiles said with a smile. The pair walked into the café with Derek, whose arm is slung over the shorter mans shoulder supportively.

Stiles glanced up as they walked in the door and gave a rather wan smile to Edna as the pair walked into the café and made their way to a back booth. Stiles sat hunched in the booth. Usually he sat with his back to the entrance but this time he sat in the booth facing the door. The place where Derek usually sat, rather than change their positions Derek sat beside the younger man.

It was a bit confining and if Derek had put more thought into it he would have sat on the other side protective instincts be damned but her was more comfortable closer to Stiles anyway. The waitress, not Diana today, came to take their order, they both asked for coffee and a few more minutes. Well Derek asked for a few more minutes anyway. Stiles just sat huddled in on himself.

Then Derek watched and bristled slightly as the older woman came out of the kitchen. Instead of backing off fearfully as the waitress had done from his glare, Edna said, "Down boy," and "Move" as she worked to get around Derek to Stiles.

Recognizing something that reminded him of his mother, Derek did move and the older woman slid into the booth and pulled Stiles into her arms.

Derek stood in front of the pair in the booth, his back to them as he heard Stiles sniffle and sob. People were now staring openly in their direction. Most had sympathetic or even sad expressions on their faces. A few were indifferent really, curious but indifferent and then there were the group of four teenaged boys sitting in the corner booth opposite their booth. Two of them were pulling their cell phones out.

Derek was across the café in blurred speed and had the phones out of their hands and crushed on the floor, and then back across the cafe before they ever even realized he had moved. Stiles though had his head up and was looking at the older man, not at he sudden commotion caused by the group in the other corner. There was a look in Stiles eyes that froze the wolf in place.

It was a look that the werewolf hadn't seen since his family. A look of unconditional love and acceptance. He calmed instantly and even managed to muster a smile for the older woman who was sitting beside Stiles in the booth. Edna stood and whispered to Stiles, "Two of your specials coming right up, kiddo." Before she bustled back into the diner's kitchen.

Derek slid into the seat she had just vacated and then maneuvered himself so that no one could see Stiles. He smiled once again, this time it was even more relaxed and open and warm. "So tell me the game plan."

"Short term or long term?" seeing the shrug the other gave him, Stiles smiled and said, "Short term, I fix my dad, fix Braeden, then we'll see."

They both looked up when Edna cam bustling out of the kitchen saying, "Diana's gonna be sad she missed you kiddo, had a stomach bug though. So I had to send her home," she placed the heaping plates of food in front of the two young men, before saying something quietly to the younger of the two.

"So is this the one then?" Derek looked up at the older woman and then over to Stiles who had flags of dark color on his cheekbones. Stiles though put the fork back down and looked up into Edna's eyes as he said, "Yeah he is."

"Well you didn't lie sweetheart, definitely falls under the totally kissable and drool worthy categories." she said and crossed her arms across her ample chest area as she studied Derek unabashedly, before adding. "Also scowly, dark and eyebrows definitely with the talking eyebrows. Yep Diana is definitely going to be upset she missed this. Gotta get back in the kitchen."

"Thanks Eddie, not embarrassed at all here," Stiles said covering his face with his hands and rubbing vigorously.

"Hey darling, just keeping it real," Edna said with a wicked grin. Looking up she saw the waitress waiting for her and said, "Got to get back to work. Take care of him," she said to Derek as she headed back into the kitchen.

"Think I could melt into a puddle and get away without explaining that conversation?" Stiles asked hopefully.

"Not likely," Derek said with a chuckle.

"Ok fine," Stiles began as he cut the ham up on his plate. "We talked about you a few times."

"A few times," Derek said sarcastically. "What was that about talking eyebrows?"

"Trust me watch your eyebrows in a mirror sometime," he said as he popped the first bite of ham into his mouth. Then the pair began eating and there wasn't anymore conversation until it was time to pay the bill and Edna finally won the debate when she refused to let either one of them pay.

Within thirty seconds of Stiles getting into the Jeep and Derek pulling out of the diner's parking lot, his head was against the glass and he was snoring quietly. When Derek go to the quiet crossroads he looked over at the younger man

 **XXXXXXXXX**

Stiles woke to the realization that for the first time in several weeks he was safe and comfortable. Well except that in the bright sunlight of early afternoon was coming in the window on the wrong side of the bed and he was suddenly aware of the fact that he really, really needed to go to the bathroom right now.

He went to get up only to discover that one of his arms was pinned to the mattress and the other was thrown over the rather impressive physique of one Derek Hale. One of his legs too was thrown over the tree trunks Derek claimed to be his legs.

Removing the arm and leg were easily done, the arm under Derek not so easily, especially since the appendage was nerveless at the moment. Circulation had been cut off for so long that he couldn't really manage to get purchase to slide it out from under the older man.

"Stiles, what are you doing?" asked the sleep slurred voice of the former Alpha. "It's too early Deaton won't be in the clinic for hours yet."

"Need to go to the bathroom," Stiles would deny he actually whined at this point.

"So go," Derek said with mild irritation.

"Can't," Stiles said in a strangled voice, "You're laying on my arm."

Derek huffed and levered himself up on one arm to release Stiles. The teenager tried to lift his arm free, only to discover he still couldn't raise his arm. He felt a little like Igor, as he dragged the arm to him and made his way to the bathroom.

Undoing his pants was an almost desperate challenge and for just a minute he considered calling Derek to come help him. Luckily he managed to struggle through without having to endure that added embarrassment. He still had to muddle through washing his hands and getting back out of the bathroom but when he came out to the large, open living area, his arm was still numb and pretty uncomfortable.

He tried flopping it around a bit trying to get the blood circulating. It was still numb when Derek called from the bed, "Stiles what are you doing?" Derek asked. His olive green eyes were gazing at the younger man with open amusement and were decidedly more awake than he had seemed before.

"Trying to get my arm to wake up, you slept on it all morning and afternoon and now I can't get it to wake up," he said irritably but without any real heat.

"Come back to bed, the sun isn't even down yet," he said and his voice was what had Stiles looking up from his arm. He realized that the werewolf was considerably less dressed than he himself was. The feelings he'd had for Derek over the years had run the gambit from fear and loathing to thwarted friendship, to desire and arousal of a perpetually horny teenager, to something more.

Seeing the former Alpha like this calling him back to bed, was putting Stiles back into something that felt somewhere between horny teenager and something more. Stiles tried to ignore it by ignoring Derek and trying to flex his fingers and hand to get the blood circulating.

He almost ignored the movement out of the corner of his eye, the Nogitsune was closer to his flight or fight response though and ducked out of the way to avoid the lunging werewolf. "What are you doing?" Stiles couldn't suppress the chuckle at seeing the pout of frustration on Derek's face at being thwarted.

"Trying to get you back to bed, I'm still sleepy." Derek said and his pout now turned into one of Derek's fierce hunting expressions.

"So go to sleep. I'm not stopping you," Stiles said in surprise as he continued to flail his arm uselessly while trying to put the table in between the two of them.

"Not without you," Derek said and his eyes were beginning to glow blue as his wolf came out to play. Stiles realized that he was inadvertently acting as either prey or another wolf to Derek at the moment and he hoped the werewolf remembered that he was human and breakable. When a little voice inside his head reminded him that he wasn't human anymore, not completely.

Stiles froze at the thought and that was when Derek pounced, and when his arm suddenly woke up painfully. Arms were suddenly wrapped around him as Derek executed a one-handed cartwheel over the table and ended up behind him.

Derek's face was suddenly in the crook between neck and shoulder and between that and tickle of the air brushing across his shoulder, Stiles giggled uncontrollably even as he was saying, "Ow, ow, ow." from the stinging, tingling sensation in his arm.

Derek was rumbling into his shoulder which was not helping with the tickling sensation. Then he moved his nibbling lips around to the nape of Stiles neck and two things happened simultaneously. Stiles knees nearly went out from under him and another part of him was suddenly hard as a rock.

"Uhm Derek," Stiles said stiffening slightly.

"I know," Derek said and there was obvious reluctance in his voice. He lifted his head from the back of Stiles' neck but didn't release the younger man. "How's your arm?"

By way of a distraction it was kinda lame but Stiles jumped at it anyway, "Hurts like hell but it's getting better," he said as he wiggled his fingers. He turned slightly in Derek's arms and said softly, "So now what?"

Derek said, "Well I'm not sleepy anymore," Stiles just smiled and blushed looking at the floor as the blush rose on his cheeks to his ear tips. "Ok so do we have everything that you need now?"

Stiles barely nodded his head but before Derek could move away Stiles placed his good hand over where Derek's hands were now joined at the teen's hips. "Before, was it just because I'm available, or is there something…"

Derek dropped his head to Stiles shoulder, "Stiles," when the younger man perhaps suspecting the worst tried to move away, Derek held tight. "Stiles," he

said with a surprisingly gentle warning growl. He nuzzled into Stiles shoulder before he continued and said, "I don't think I've ever done anything except mistakes and available." Then he sighed, "Cora and Peter told you about Paige didn't they."

Stiles recognized it as a rhetorical question but nodded his head anyway and Derek continued, "Paige was my first love, but I think my attraction to her was more like a wolf to a rabbit. Kate we won't even say how bad a mistake she was. The Darach was both available and a mistake. Braeden has just been available. Something else is going on here, between you and me. Do you… are you…"

"Yeess." the Spark responded on a hiss of air as he lowered his cheek to rest on top of the werewolves head, where it rested on his shoulder. The sound was like he had been holding it in for a long time. Derek looked up into his eyes and for just a moment the wolf saw darkness and sorrow before the eyes lit from within with the amber light.

His wolf and he both wanted to pull the other man close and comfort and claim and more. He lifted his head and gazed into Stiles eyes. "Soon." he said and they both knew it was a promise.

"When we get there I need you to stay outside and watch the door, make sure nobody else comes in?" Stiles said getting back down to business.

"It would be better if I stayed in the room with you…safer…" Derek said helpfully.

"Not really, I'll be dis-possessing Dad, it doesn't mean the wolf spirit won't try to possess someone else. Human would be bad, another werewolf would be worse."

"Why?" Derek said as he helped Stiles gather things to cart them down to the SUV.

"The wolf will possess another human, but if he gets into another werewolf, the two spirits will basically fight each other for the body and probably kill the host in the process. At least bitten ones. I would hope it would be different for born wolves, being settled since birth and all that. Either way I'm not going to risk it." Stiles explained fiercely. "Let's get to the hospital."

 **XXXXXXXXX**

Although they received a few strange looks from some of the staff and other visitors, the pair made their way to the hospital room. They found the deputy at the station keeping an eye on the room but drinking a cup of coffee. Stiles gave the older man a nod of recognition but didn't speak to him.

When they got to his fathers room, he murmured a greeting to the unconscious man before directing Derek in helping to set everything up, before banishing the older werewolf from the room.

Stiles had Derek pull the bed out from the wall, making sure not to unplug or disturb anything important. Now he set the circle, a mixture of salt and mountain ash around the bed and most of the room. He set up everything else within the circle, including a palm sized wooden box. He began the chant that would dislodge the wolf spirit from his father.

Stiles remained totally focused on the task at hand. So he didn't here anything or see anything except the pearly grey spirit that came out of his fathers mouth and nose. He saw it lunge a couple of times for the barrier that surrounded the hospital bed, but Stiles had set the circle thick and strong. It didn't escape. It tried to come for Stiles then.

The fox demon was old though, very old and with age comes strength and power. Since fox spirits can live for centuries, and this one had lived for millennia. The wolf spirit never had a chance, as the Nogitsune lifted the lid of the box and metaphorically speaking, slammed the wolf into the crystal that lay in the lined box.

He heard yelling coming from outside the room, and after a quick clean up spell that had the salt and mountain ash going into the trash bin and everything else into the box they had brought into the room. The young man wobbled slightly as he made his way to the chair that sat at his father's bedside. As he slid into the chair gratefully, he performed another spell to unlock the door to the room.

He lowered his head and began to slowly feed some of his own energy and a dose of healing power into his father. The wolf spirit had been dispelled, but his father still had grievous wounds that the werewolf had inflicted that needed to be healed.

He looked up when someone crashed through the door. There stood Scott in handcuffs practically dragging the deputy along with him. He felt a pang of fear until he saw Derek come in behind the deputy to grab the True Alpha by the arm to drag him back out.

"What did you do to my mom Stiles?!" yelled the irate young werewolf.

"What are you talking about Scott? I've been in here this whole time, I haven't even seen your Mom this evening." Stiles responded honestly if a little angrily.

"She's out here," Derek said indicating over his shoulder.

Stiles face flushed with fear as he stood up and was around the bed, yelling, "Make a hole," as he ran through the men blocking the door. He saw people crouched around a prone figure on the floor. He wasn't careful about moving them out of the way as he knelt beside the woman on the floor and grabbing her wrist shoved a burst of healing energy into her.

Mellissa McCall suddenly sat bolt upright and drew a deep ragged breath. Then a few more that were regular breaths. She looked up into Stiles eyes for several minutes, "You're father is going to be fine." she said firmly.

"Never doubted it for a minute." Stiles said cheekily, before pulling the woman into a grateful hug. He then levered himself up to a slightly shaky stance. Shaking his head as though to clear the cobwebs he tuned back into his surroundings and saw Scott still struggling against the deputy.

Stiles stepped closer and in a hissing sotto voice said, "Stop struggling you idiot or they'll get you for resisting arrest. Your mom is fine," he said indicating where the woman in question, was being helped back to her feet before someone brought a wheelchair and let her sit down in it. "She just got a little overwhelmed and passed out. Now calm down."

When the werewolf continued to struggle Stiles yelled, "Scott calm down! You're showing out!" It was a specifically worded warning that Stiles had trained into all of the werewolves except Liam that meant they needed to try and control themselves, because their werewolf features were beginning to be seen in public.

His friend froze and closed his eyes, working hard to bring himself under control. The struggle for control took longer than expected and he heard Stiles say to the older deputy, "Would you give us a few minutes?" The deputy was obviously reluctant to do what was very definitely against protocol but the taller Hale boy seemed to have control of he McCall boy and although he was reluctant to do so he did have to call this in. Parrish was going to be pissed.

As soon as he left, Mrs. McCall basically did the same thing to the hovering medical staff, and the four found themselves relatively alone in the hall. Scott's eyes open and they are now glowing red. He tried to break free of /Derek but somehow the Beta is still able to hold him in place. He tries to break the handcuffs only they hold and Stiles reminds them they have mountain ash in them.

"Show your face, you ugly mutt," Scott whispers. Hostility making him tremble in the older werewolves arms.

"Okay one, glass houses Scotty. Two, I take it you think I'm what, possessed?" Stiles asked keeping his voice calm and well modulated. "Why? Why do you think I'm possessed?"

Scott looked at the other boy, mouth agape. "Isn't it obvious? You can't do magic or cast spells. You can't fight off a regular werewolf let alone a Rogue Alpha. So you must be possessed." he said and his voice started to rise almost hysterically at the end. His mother shushed them and Scott obeyed his mothers warning instinctively. Vindictively though Scott continued in a quieter voice. "You're just Stiles, there's nothing special about you."

The total silence from the werewolf behind him and the look of appalled disappointment on his mothers face should have warned him, but Scott was being very obtuse at the moment.

"So the only way I could ever do anything is if I'm possessed. Taught you how to be a werewolf in control before we really knew anything Scott." he reminded gently. "Nothing special at all about me, you're right Scott. Except the Alpha is dead. Then there is the fact that my father is going to be fine because the werewolf spirit didn't and isn't going to settle, because I removed it."

"You're an Alpha werewolf Scott. You hear my heartbeat and will know if I'm lying. Am I lying? I fought off the Alpha and killed it. I did the magic and exorcised the spirit from my dad. Am I lying, Scott?" The amber-eyed teen asked again. Then he stepped closer to the boy who had been his friend since the second grade.

"Is it really that you think I'm possessed, which you know I'm not lying about or you would have said as much by now. Or is it jealousy. I did magic. I fought off an Alpha rogue and I'm not a werewolf. My dad isn't going to change or die. I did all of that without you or your help, and that's what really bothers you isn't it. Your ego is bruised because the sidekick didn't need saving this time. This time Robin did the saving without Batman, and it pissed you off?"

"Well too bad. Hate to tell you this Scotty boy. I think Robin's about to become Nightwing. Yeah I'm out." Stiles concluded in an exhausted and exasperated tone. He brushed his arm across the leather clad sleeve of Derek's jacket as he walked past toward the elevators around the corner. He didn't remember the drive back to his house. He didn't remember unlocking the door, climbing the stairs, shucking his clothes or taking the shower that eased slightly trembling limbs or falling into the bed, already asleep before is head hit the pillow. All he knew was relief it was over.

He also didn't realize he was being watched the rest of that evening and on into the next day, by a pair of possessive eyes.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N~ Ok I feel I should apologize ahead of time because I'm really no good at the sex or intimate scenes. No I do not mean like porn, I mean like romantic, intimate scenes. I really need to work on those, because there is going to be more of them. So you can probably expect some late episodes. I hope you enjoy this though. Please review especially if you have suggestions for love scenes between our two main love birds. ~A**

 **Chapter 6**

When he woke up Stiles still felt exhausted. Doing the spell, feeding his father the energy, then helping Mrs. McCall had drawn too much energy out of him it would probably be several days before he would be able to do any more magic. Heck at this point, he should be in a coma right next to his brother.

He knew the Nogitsune was the only reason he wasn't lying in a coma in the bed next to his father in the hospital. He tried to get off of his bed and found it a lot more painful then he would have imagined. He hissed through his teeth as he sat on the side of the bed.

He started to stand and threw himself back onto the bed before his knees gave out and he fell to the floor. After catching his breath, and groaning through the pain he pulled his lacrosse stick to him and used it leaning on it heavily, he went to the bathroom and cleaned up a bit.

He made his way carefully down the stairs, using the handrail a lot. When he got to the bottom of the stairs, he sat down on the stairs, and cursed himself saying, "Damn it Stiles, next time remember to save enough energy to heal yourself." before thumping his head a little too solidly against the wall.

A shadow fell across him and he squawked even as he slammed the lacrosse stick up in a defensive move he was sure would have made Robin Hood proud, if he hadn't just struck Derek in the jaw.

Derek set his jaw quickly and said, "Ow." in a calm voice.

"Oh my gawd." Stiles started to flail and then groaned remembering how much pain he was in and continued without flailing or moving at all. "Derek I could have put that thing through your eye and killed you just then!" he said in horror, before adding, "What the hell man, you scared the shit out of me. You could have given me a heart attack."

Derek merely raised an eyebrow at him until he had wound down and said, "Are you done?" When Sties merely nodded as if the outburst had drained him of all of his remaining energy. Derek asked, "Are you hurt?"

Stiles was so stunned by the question he answered it honestly for the first time in several years, "Nearly every day," Derek's eyes darkened, before he realized what he had said, "Aw hell." Then covered his mouth with his hand tiredly.

Derek squatted beside Stiles because there wasn't enough room on the stairs for both of them as he said, "You lied to me."

"Not recently," Stiles prevaricated.

"Stiles," Derek growled.

It really shouldn't have turned him on as much as it did when he did that, Stiles thought before responding. "Ok, look. Everyone from the Argents, to Matt, to the Alpha Pack, to the Nogitsune, to the other hunters. They all think I'm the weakest link, because I'm the human in the Pack. After I learned I had the Spark I also learned a couple of spells to block pain at least temporarily and to heal wounds a little faster, not enough to be noticed at first."

"Last night," he started and then looked around a bit unsure before asking, "it was last night wasn't it?" Derek nodded and the teen continued, "Last night, I did the spell and fed my dad a ton of healing energy because if I hadn't he probably would have died of the wounds the Alpha gave him."

Stiles paused for a few minutes and basically just seemed to be sucking in air as if just that little bit of explanation had been a major effort and the way he looked it had been. Derek let him catch his breath and finally he continued, "I didn't really expect Ms. McCall to come in. I take it she and Scott double teamed you while the deputy was distracted?"

Derek nodded and said, "The deputy sort of figured either Scott or his mom, called the nurses station and asked to speak to the deputy. Claimed to be the clerk at the Sheriff's department, about the time he got to the nurses station and picked up the phone. Scott came out of the stairwell and attacked me. While he went for me, she came around the corner unlocked the door, opened it and screamed. That just made him go more crazy, it was all I could do to keep him from going after the deputy when he got involved."

Stiles nodded in understanding before saying, "Wasn't expecting to have to heal her too. That took the part I usually reserve for myself." He tried to lever himself up off the stairs and realized he really didn't have anything left. Derek put Stiles arm across his shoulders and tried to help him to the couch. Ending up finally lifting the younger man into his arms, bridal style, and carrying him to the sofa.

Still not flailing like he normally might, Stiles squawked again as he said, "A little masculine dignity might be appreciated here."

Derek snorted as he carefully positioned Stiles on the sofa, although Stiles protest tempted him to throw the younger man on the sofa. "Ok so next time, we'll go the route of the fireman's carry, yeah?"

"Never mind," Stiles said and was actually looking abashed at his own protest.

"What else?" Derek asked as he walked back into the kitchen.

"Eh, what else what?" Stiles asked in a confused tone.

"What else have you lied about and how have you hidden it from us?" Derek asked as he started putting some sandwiches together.

"I learned how to hide lying from you guys about the time of the kanima. That's why Erica was so pissed with me all the time. She asked me stuff she thought would embarrass me and couldn't tell when I lied to avoid the question." he said easily.

"Stuff like who I liked, who I wanted to hang out with, who I wanted to make out with. That one I was actually honest about and it pissed her off even more."

Stiles said. He was a little sad talking about his Cat Woman but also a little nostalgic about his fond memories of her.

"Why'd it piss her off?" Derek asked absently. Stiles didn't answer and Derek looked up from what he was doing to see Stiles fiddling with the edge of his shirt sleeve as though it was the most interesting thing in the world. "Stiles?" he didn't growl but Stiles knew it was a demand for the truth. Thinking about the way things had been between the two of them the past couple of days, Stiles figured Derek deserved the truth.

Stiles breathed out before saying, "I told her I wanted to make out with you. She was pissed off because she figured as the only female wolf, the Alpha should be with her. She hadn't really met Boyd at that time so yeah…" he sort of let Derek draw his own conclusions.

"How did you learn to control your heartbeat?" Derek asked leaving the other discussion for later, as he finished making their lunch plates.

"Meditation, had to concentrate while I was lying, but I can do it pretty much all the time now." Stiles said tiredly.

"Here you go," Derek said as he handed Stiles the plate over the back of the couch. The younger man said, "Thanks, it looks great," Then he began to eat the chicken salad and lettuce sandwich. He was slowly and methodically eating the sandwich.

It was actually a very good sandwich, he was just tired, and hurting, and afraid he might choke if he ate it as fast as he wanted to. Then Derek placed a glass each of water and milk beside him on the table and he suddenly realized how thirsty he really was. Stiles was very careful but still guzzled down half the glass of water before Derek got back with his own plate and glass. He sat down on the floor in front of the couch.

The Spark tiredly finished his meal and was surprised to find his water glass freshly refilled and a glass of cranberry juice filled and sitting where the milk had been.. He was actually feeling a little pampered and wasn't sure how he felt about that. So he covered it up with crankiness, "You know I've pretty much been taking care of myself since my Mom died. I don't need to be babied."

Derek looked at him and there was a knowing expression on his face, "Is that what you think I'm doing?"

Stiles looked at the other man and replied, "What else could it be?" with a shrug.

"Ever heard of courting, Stiles?" Derek asked with a charming smile over his shoulder.

"What am I the damsel in distress or something?" Stiles said with conflicting emotions. He crawled up to his knees on the couch to be able to see Derek over the edge of the kitchen counter.

Derek threw the dish towel over his shoulder as he turned to face the younger man on the couch. "Stiles it's not even like that," he said in an aggravated tone. "Tell me something and be honest about it. When's the last time someone took care of you?"

Stiles hesitated and then said "Well I mean when I started having the stuff with the Nogitsune and Mama McCall started to take care of me…"

"No Stiles, that's not what I mean," he said in a frustrated tone. He put the hand towel on the counter and came around the edge to where Stiles knelt. He got to the back of the couch and put his hands were on the back of the couch. Their faces were only a few inches apart.

"When's the last time that you had someone take care of you? Make you dinner, just take care of you, for no other reason than that they love you" he said seriously. His frame loose and his eyes had this loving look in them that Stiles had dreamed about seeing there.

The teen defended weakly, "My dad, takes care…"

"The thing is Stiles I've seen you and your dad. Who worries about his diet, his… drinking," He raised one hand when Stiles started to object. "I think you have to admit you take care of each other, and that's the way it should be. I'm talking somebody taking care of you Stiles. Is it really that much of an alien concept?"

"Yeah I guess it is," Stiles said a little sadly.

Derek lifted his head to touch Stiles chin and lifted it slightly. "You took care of Scott, the adviser, the protector, brother and best friend. Your Lydia's partner-in-crime, research buddy, fellow brain-stormer and genius. Batman to Erica's Cat Woman. The one who believed in Jackson when no one else would, even though he was a bully to you."

"Issac may have trusted Scott and emulated Erica and Boyd but you're the one who saved he and the others from the Darach's trap. You've been the caregiver, even when you were beaten up by Gerard, no one took care of you, your father supported you but neither he nor Lydia brought you ice or a hot pack for your bruises." Derek said and there was a hitch of angry frustration in his voice.

"How did you…" Stiles asked and then a look of recognition appeared on his face.

Derek confirmed it when he said, "I wanted to…I wanted to. An Alpha is supposed to have a mate to be the caregiver to the pack because Alpha's are supposed to be the protectors. Not that I was ever good at either," he said self- deprecatingly, "but it would have made us more stable. The Alpha's job is to protect, provide, and procreate."

The last word made him blush, but he continued, "The other half of that is the Alpha Mate, the Luna. Her job is to nurture, to nourish, to…"

"Their job is to be the in house emissary, to go outside the Pack and negotiate treaty's and to strengthen the Pack inside and out. Their job is also to defend and protect the Pack members and to be the haven for the Alpha. So equal opportunity pampering and wooing…wooage….pitching woo?" he said with a little smirk.

"Pitching woo?" Derek questioned with a raised eyebrow, "Really Stiles?"

Stiles waved his hand slightly, "So if we became a couple…"

"If?" Derek asked and there was doubt in his eyes. Grabbing the older mans shirt Stiles pulled him closer and then he slows down. He presses an open- mouthed kiss to the werewolves lips and then released his shirt and slid his open hand up the shirt into the other's hair. Letting him have his freedom to escape if he wanted to.

He stroked his tongue into Derek's mouth and began to gently trace along the edges of his mouth. Tasting his tongue and some of the unique flavors of the older man. His mouth watered, when instead of seeking his freedom, Derek deepened the kiss.

His arm came around Stiles waist and holding onto the back of the couch with the other hand, he carefully crawled over the back and was straddling the younger man. All without breaking the kiss they were currently focused on.

Stiles giggles as fingers traced down the inside of his arm. What ensued was still sensual and hot but involved more nudity and giggling as they explored each others bodies intimately. Stiles was the first to find his release.

Derek who was being exceedingly careful with the younger and smaller Stiles was winded and a little thrilled, when he was suddenly flipped on his back onto the floor. Stiles then landing on top of him and nipping at his jaw was also more than a little exciting.

Stiles was grinding down on his cloth clad erection as they continued kissing in between gasps for air. Derek suddenly felt Stiles sharp little teeth bit into his shoulder. Derek gasped and his eyes suddenly flashed from blue to red as he roared into his orgasm. Stiles followed quickly and lay exhausted on top of the other man before rising above Derek.

Derek smiled at him, before saying with a little trepidation, "You know about the mating rituals right?"

"You mean like the fact I just claimed you?" Stiles asked with a grin.

Derek stroked Stiles cheek and said, "I still need to claim you, but I may need a little recovery time, before we…." He gave a beautiful grin.

Stiles nodded his head with a smirk and said, "What happened to all that Alpha stamina?"

Derek looked at the other young man a little worriedly before reminding him, "Stiles I know we were talking about it before but I'm not an Alpha anymore." Then he smiled and said, "Don't worry though I think I still have enough werewolf stamina to keep up with your hormones."

Stiles laughed and after a few experimentl little moves of his own Stiles stood up off of his would be lover. He drew their still joined hand u to his lips and kissed them before helping the older man up and said, "Let's go take a shower together and we'll talk about the Alpha and Pack stuff a little later."

He guided the older man up the stairs and into the bathroom. He turned the water on to heat up and then helped the older man out of his clothes. Delivering little kisses as here and there as he did so. Then he stripped off his own clothes but instead of pulling Derek into the shower, he turned the werewolf to face the large mirror above the sink.

Stiles kissed and stroked the sculpted body in front of him. Stiles saw Derek lean his head back and saw the red eyes glowing under the heavy lids, "I want you to look in the mirror, my Alpha." Derek took one look at his eyes, and suddenly snapped forward examining the Alpha red color.

"How did you do this?" he asked in awe.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N~ Thank you to everyone who has read, viewed, and reviewed this fic. I'm very glad that you're enjoying this story and hope that you continue to enjoy my humble efforts. ~A**

 **Chapter 7**

 _Devoutly to be wished,_

 _To die in sleep,_

 _Perchance to dream,_

 _Aye, there's the rub._

"How did you…Did you do this?" Derek asked as he touched his face just below where his eyes were still glowing red.

"Yeah well apparently when I killed the rogue while I was saving my dad, I got his powers. Not exactly sure how to explain it, but somehow I held the power until I was able to give it to you. Apparently claiming you was how I was supposed to do that." Stiles said a little defensively.

He thought Derek would be happy, he didn't sound happy. As a matter of fact if Stiles were pressed he would say the older man sounded worried. "If you don't want it I can try to take it back but I think that might take back the claim as well," he said as he chewed on is thumbnail thoughtfully. "Truthfully I'm not sure cause I haven't really read where this has ever happened before. I mean oomph."

Derek's left hand was wrapped around his hip, the right one held his jaw in place while his mouth was thoroughly exploring his lips, tongue, and mouth. When he finally let Stiles up for air the younger man was gasping and staring at the werewolf a little dazedly, "Oxygen is our friend," he scolded the werewolf lightly.

"There will be no breaking of the claim, none. You understand?" Stiles would have felt threatened if not for the panicked expression the werewolf had on his face.

"I only offered because I thought you'd be thrilled about having the Alpha powers back again, but you looked worried, not happy. I thought it might be because I had claimed you so…" Stiles said in a confused tone.

"What I'm thrilled about is the claim," Derek said, rubbing his nose alone the smaller man's upturned nose as he continued, "I'm worried because I wasn't a very good Alpha the first time."

"Yeah well you also didn't have me the first time," Stiles said cheekily. "Now can you have a Pack of just two?"

"It's happened before," Derek said thoughtfully. I remember my Mom had a friend, an older Alpha Mate apparently her mate left her for a younger woman. Told her she could accept it or leave the Pack, one of the Betas left with her. They came to my Mom and she put them up in a guest house." Derek blushed as he recounted, "My Mom said they became a couple and that her friend hadn't screamed like that since they were in college."

"The rest of the Pack started coming a week later. By the time it was done, most of the women and children and a lot of the males of the Pack had joined her. They found out later that the younger female was working with a bunch of Hunters, and had used an artificial scent to attract the Alpha and several of the Beta males. She sold them out to the Hunters."

Stiles absorbed the story Derek had told thoughtfully before remembering the reason they had come in the bathroom in the first place was to get clean. Stripping down to skin he pretended not to notice the Alpha's hot eyes following his every move. He watched Derek move more slowly to follow him into the small stall.

Derek stopped his hand from reaching for the water. Instead scenting the younger man again, Stiles chuckled a little as he tilted his head to the side in order to give the Alpha more access to his neck. "If only there was a way to bathe without washing your scent off me right?"

The Alpha actually nodded with such eagerness that Stiles actually laughed. "If it helps, I doubt very much either of us will be able to get the others scent off in just one showering?"

"Especially not if we do it again, while we're in the shower," Derek suggested hopefully. Pulling the younger mans back flush with his chest. He let his hands roam over the younger man's chest. Tweaking a nipple, running his fingernails up the ribs, holding him in place as he nuzzled, licked, and kissed his way along Stiles shoulder.

Stiles whined when curious fingers stroked along his inner thigh before he grabbed the wandering hand and pulled it up to where it rested over his pounding heart. "Two reasons, we can't start this now. One I want to let the Alpha powers settle in you. I really don't want them to come straight back into me."

He turned to face Derek who looked adorable with his hair sticking up all over the place. "While it would be fun in one way to maybe swap it back and forth a few times. I don't want to waste the Alpha power, especially since I think that you've learned from past mistakes and will make an incredible Alpha this time around."

"What's the second reason?" asked Derek thoughtfully.

"I want to go visit my dad. He might be waking up today," Stiles said thoughtfully. That was when Derek remembered the Sheriff and how all of this had originally started and was a little ashamed of himself.

He drew Stiles lips to meet his and kissed him slowly and gently. This time, though the kiss was deeper it was not as sensual but more soul searching. Stiles felt his toes curl as the shower water came on and he realized that the werewolf had turned the shower on with his foot.

It was remarkably dexterous of him really, except apparently he still didn't have a handle on temperature control. The icy cold spray had the pair parting with shrieks and curses and scrambling to bathe and adjust the temperature all at once.

 **XXXXXXXXX**

Derek was in the process of climbing out the window when Stiles came into the room. "You know dad's not her right now. You could try being a real wild man and use the front door, like a real guest might do." The teen said as he pulled his over shirt on.

"Then what would your neighbors think. It might ruin your reputation. An older man coming and going all hours of the night and day." Derek said in a concerned tone.

"They're used to Scott leaving through the window." Stiles said with a smile.

"So they probably think I'm him?" Derek asked incredulously.

"Well you do have dark hair," Stiles offered with a smirk. "Ad I have to say you're the first person to ever be concerned about my reputation. Most people know better than to even associate me with anyone with any kind of sexual reputation or relationship."

Derek laughed as he dropped out of the window and looked back up at Stiles, "Remind me to tell you what you're neighbors really think about your love life. I'll meet you at the hospital."

 **XXXXXXXXX**

John Stilinski was having a nightmare. In the nightmare, a call had come in that a clearly disturbed naked man was walking down the four lane that ran along the outside of town. Normally the troopers would have taken care of anything having to do with that road, but they had specifically called and requested his office handle the situation.

They were currently dealing with a three car pile-up that had escalated into a twelve car disaster. The accident was now blocking all four lanes and would take several hours longer to clean up, before they were anywhere near ready to release the traffic.

Most of his men were finishing up their paperwork at end of shift so that they could get home to their families. So he had agreed to go out on the call on his own. Sure enough the poor fellow was walking down the side of the road in his all together and seemed to be talking animatedly, complete with hand gestures, twitches and the works to no one.

The Sheriff had pulled the cruiser to the side of the road, and radioed in what he was seeing, while assessing the situation. The man was obviously unarmed and underdressed for the cooler night time weather of a California Autumn. John knew from experience though that the disturbed behavior could turn into a hornets nest of pain, anger, and aggression in a split second if he wasn't careful.

He kept is gun holstered, people on drugs or those who were mentally ill could easily flip on you and strip you of a lethal weapon and turn it on you. Of course the same could be said of a non-lethal weapon but at least you're moderately less likely to be killed with it.

He got out of the car and headed toward the man. He looked to be in is late thirties, early forties. Dark hair fairly short for someone who was "homeless", the scruff was "Hale" length, and the man looked to be a little on the thin side but still in pretty good shape for someone living on the streets. "Excuse me sir, do you need some help. Hey I can get you a nice hot meal and maybe some clothes."

When the man turned to face him the glowing red eyes were the first sign that John was in trouble. The second was when he growled at the Sheriff. The older man had just enough time to think, "Bad doggie," and that he'd spent too much time with Stiles. He went to draw his pistol when the thing was on him, he heard the shot go off but it had gone wide as his arm was being crushed in the werewolves jaws.

What followed was pain and darkness with a few periods of semi-awareness. A lot of pain, darkness, a loud crunch which surprisingly didn't hurt. A series of growls, a snarl and the beginnings of a deep throated howl that was cut off mid stream and then whimpering wounded animal sounds. His son's scent which he knew from birth overlaid with the scents of blood, pain and death. The sounds of an animal whimpering but it was his sons voice making the sound.

Then the hectic noises of the hospital he thought he heard Mel's voice. Machines beeping, antiseptic smells, dull throbbing pain, sharp pricks, copper, death. All the while underneath it all there was a burning in his blood and the echo of growling in his head.

Arguing voices, Stiles and Scott arguing, it was a rare event but it had happened so that he knew it when he heard it. Stiles talking to him, the smell of ozone, and herbs. His son talking to him, yelling, more talking. Then he realized that the burning and growling were gone and that he could finally rest.

When he was next aware, there was pain, a lot of it. Then a slight click and beeping noise. A too loud voice, "Yes, may I help you?"

"Yeah, my dad is awake, and he's in pain," a familiar voice said happily.

"You don't have to sound so chipper about the old man being in pain." John told his son. His own raspy voice overlaying the one on the intercom that said, she would notify the doctor.

"Pain let's you know you're alive." Stiles said cheerfully. John felt a hand stroke over his forehead and into his hair gently smoothing it down.

Another voice scolded slightly, "Really Stiles, quoting Von Helsind now?" It wasn't Scott's voice though. John opened his eyes a crack and slammed them shut again almost instantly at the too bright light in the room. There was a shuffle, followed by a rattling noise and then a snap, the sound of fabric swishing and a clicking noise closer to his side.

"Try now, Dad," Stiles suggested gently. Slowly John Stilinski opened his eyes, still bright but not as bad and for just a minute he swore he saw Claudia standing there. Only to realize it was Stiles, still with his mothers face, the amber eyes glowing with happiness and relief.

Then Stiles looked over his shoulder and standing there on the other side of the hospital bed stood Derek Hale. Stiles asked, "Did it take?"

And young Hale leaned down at sniffed near the Sheriff's face. John felt is fingers twitch reaching for a gun that wasn't there. It didn't do much more than that because he felt a searing pain going down his arm at the movement. Oh yeah, werewolf tried to rip his arm off.

Then he remembered, werewolf attack, he's still alive. Which meant…he looked up at the young werewolf who smiled after a moment. "You're clean, you're not going to become a werewolf, Sheriff."

He heard his sons breath hitch. John was able to take his sons hand in his own .Stiles moved quickly working his way in between wire, tubing and bandages to get close and curl up next to his dad on the hospital bed. The sounds Stiles made then were disturbing on a parental level, half-choked sobs, whimpers and some almost animalistic noises as he cried in relief.

He carefully stroked along his son's back soothingly. Then he noticed the werewolf leaning across the bed to stroke Stiles hair gently. John looked up into the younger mans eyes and what he saw there had his hand stilling and his mind considering something he hadn't before. Derek Hale loved his son.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N~ This is Stiles laying down the law. Speaking of law I am not a practitioner of the law but I did look up some things online. So please no critiquing me on that as it seems to be different state to state etc. Had a little problem loading this. Server was apparently down thus the delay. That being said please read, enjoy and review. ~A**

 **Chapter 8**

John woke up much later, he had truthfully been in and out of consciousness all day. Stiles had told him not to worry about it too much. He had after all survived the attack of a feral Alpha. His son had told him to think of it as surviving a bear attack.

He wasn't really sure how long it had been, the last time he had started to fall asleep he had ordered Derek to take Stiles and feed him. He still hadn't talked to the pair about their feelings for each other or how far that might have progressed. He hadn't been awake long enough to handle that conversation yet.

John had been awake long enough at some point for Stiles to tell him how close he had been to being a werewolf. His son had also told him about what Scott had been willing to do to John.

While the Sheriff in him was in a way grateful to the boy for protecting Beacon Hills from what could be a feral werewolf situation. The pseudo father in him felt just as betrayed as Stiles did. So when he looked around the room and saw Scott standing in the shadow of the corner, he wasn't surprised to hear the heart monitor squeal with alarm as is heart rate skyrocketed.

"Scott, nice of you to visit," he said in a gentle tone. "Although right at the moment I'm not really up for company. Is your mother working this evening?" he asked as he reached for the call light.

"Don't," Scott said in a harsh tone. "I know he told you. You're going to become a werewolf. I'm sorry, I can't let that happen. If you do the Calaveras will come back."

John Stilinski was confused, "Who the hell are the Calaveras?"

"They're hunters dad. The ones from Mexico to be specific. He's not a werewolf Scott, he's not going to become one and he certainly isn't going to be yours. So the Calaveras won't be coming up here." Stiles said in an angry tone. "Not to mention, hello restraining order."

"Yeah that worked real well for Jackson, why do you think it will work for you?"

"You need a timeout Scott." then Stiles thought of something and a look of horror crossed his face as he looked around. Derek had followed him into the room and was moving closer to the hospital bed that held Stiles father. "Scott, where's the deputy?"

The teenaged werewolf looked shame faced and Stiles yelled, "What the hell did you do to the deputy Scott?"

"I didn't kill him if that's what you think!" he exclaimed defensively as he began to look even more sheepish than before.

"Scott I don't know what to think about you anymore. You've been threatening to kill my dad for the past several days. Now you're lurking in his room like some lurker dude who lurks. So what did you do with the deputy?" Stiles asked and yep there went the arms waving.

Derek looked over at the other Alpha and sure enough the toe of the sneaker was scuffing along the floor, "I knocked him out and put him in the broom closet down the hall." Scott said as if it was the most natural thing in the world to do.

Stiles palmed his face in exasperation, even the Sheriff rubbed his scruffy face as he said, "Scott," when the teen looked at him. John reminded him in a calm if inappropriately amused tone, "You do know that could be considered, assaulting a police officer, and possibly kidnapping?"

Scott's usually olive toned skin went a little green. Derek left the room for a few minutes and when he returned he was strangely trying very hard not to smile. "The deputy was only knocked out, as far as we can tell, but the nurse is checking him out."

He looked over at Scott and said, "Her name is Ruby, she's calling your mom she said to tell you, "You give me any trouble I will bend you over my knee and you won't be sitting down for two weeks."

Scott was now blushing furiously and yet still looking green. "Stiles, I didn't want to hurt your dad. It's just…she said if we increased the Pack she would bring her Hunters to Beacon Hills and tear anyone even remotely associated with the Pack apart. Your dad, my mom, everybody, wolf, coyote, human, it doesn't matter to them."

"As I said before Scott," Stiles said disapproval ringing in his voice, "He is not becoming a werewolf, he wouldn't be one of yours, and considering all the crap she put us through. If she does come here it's not gong to go the way she thinks its going to go."

Scott merely nodded his head with a doubtful expression on his face. "Am I going to get arrested?" he asked worriedly.

"Yes," said the Sheriff, "No," said Derek at the same time. The two men glared at each other as Stiles went to pick up the book bag he had dropped to the entrance of the room.

"I changed the deputies memories," Derek said remorselessly. "He thinks he went into the closet for something, he doesn't even remember what and tripped and hit his head." Derek said and there was a coldness in his voice as he looked at Scott.

Scott looked grateful, "It will not happen again," Derek said warningly.

Scott's face changed and he said, "I don't answer to you, or have you forgotten who the Alpha is?"

"You absolutely do answer to him from now on Scott," Stiles said without looking up from the book bag he was currently rummaging in.

"Says who?" Scott asked a little childishly.

"Says me. The fact you threatened to kill my dad, the fact you've been fighting deputies and just knocked one out and didn't even care if you caused him permanent damage. The fact your mom had to put her car up as collateral to get you out of jail. The fact you've been making bad choices left, right and center the past several days with no end in sight."

"Yeah, you're decision making privileges are revoked for the foreseeable future. Until your mom and my dad say otherwise, with Derek's input of course." Stiles said pulling out a notebook and a tablet and pencil before moving the book bag to beside the rather uncomfortable looking chair and sitting down.

"Why Derek? I thought you were on my side?" Scott said petulantly.

Stiles stiffened and there was such a look of rage in his expression the True Alpha actually stepped back in fear. Stiles voice actually shook as he said, "You do not get to play the guilt card here Scott McCall. You threatened my dad. You were here to kill him tonight. If you honestly think I don't know that you are incredibly…dense and just added six months on to whatever time our parents decide on for your grounding."

Although his voice didn't rise at all, he did snap the pencil he was holding right in two. Growling in frustration Stiles bent down and picked the other half up from where it had fallen on the floor. "As to why Derek, one he never threatened to kill my father, two he has never attacked any deputies to my knowledge, three of all of us he's the only other one in the room, hell in the county who has experience being an Alpha."

When he saw that Scott was about to argue again, Stiles raised his hand to indicate he wasn't listening to his longtime friend. It happened to be the one that held the broken pencil in it and rather than say anything else, he held the pencil in the palm of his hand and blew gently across it. The pencil rolled together, then the two broken ends drew together like a pair of magnets and the break was sealed.

He then looked up and past the pencil to where Scott stood staring at him flabbergasted. Just to freak his friend out a little more in retribution for the near heart attacks he had caused Stiles and his mom over the past several days. Stiles noticed the chair in the corner of the room and caused it to slide across the floor and bump into Scotts legs just enough for the olive skinned boy to topple into the seat with a yelp.

"That's that," Stiles said as he opened the book in his lap to a marked page and began reading. "Get some rest dad, I have the watch." Derek walked over and stood beside Stiles. He leaned casually against the wall beside the younger man and once again the Sheriff was reminded he needed to have talks with all three of these young men.

The possibility of that scenario happening in the near future was put off by the arrival of Melissa McCall coming through the door of his hospital room. Scott stood quickly actually looking relieved, and Stiles said sharply, "Sit back down Scott."

Stiles eyes then turned to look at Melissa and he knew that the Nogitsune was too close to the surface, he felt it there. Instead of his brother and the woman who had been a substitute mom to him for several years he saw threats to his family, threats to the stability of the Pack. Then he felt the hand on his shoulder, it was a subtle thing but he felt the Nogitsune settle just enough.

His tone was polite, cool, and too calm, "Good morning Mama McCall. I think I'll let Scott tell you why you were called here this evening. If he lies Derek will tell you. If he doesn't know how much time he would spend in jail, Dad will let you know. When he's done, and yes Scott omission is lying and Derek will know, I will tell you what I have planned for his punishment."

His eyes then turned to Scott and he said baldly, "You will allocute to all of your…crimes, Mr. McCall," Before he looked back down at the paper he was working on, seemingly unsupportive of his friend.

Mellissa looked between the two boys and said a little protectively, "He doesn't have to…"

Stiles slammed the books down on the floor and was suddenly back to being murderous, as he hissed to the other woman, "Yes he does! You, we coddled him too much and gave him too much power and no boundaries." Stiles said suddenly in the older woman face. "Tonight he attacked a deputy, could have killed him, and intended to kill my dad…" When Scott leapt to his feet supposedly to defend his mom, Stiles raised a hand in his direction and Scott found himself slammed back down so hard the chair actually groaned in protest.

Strong, yet gentle hands came down on his shoulders and stroked soothingly down his arms, before working their way back up to begin kneading. "Since you both seem to have a problem with this, I'll do it for him." Stiles said darkly. He turned to face Derek and gave him a one armed hug as he said, "Thanks big guy," What he didn't say but Derek still heard in his head was, "Don't let me hurt anyone."

"Let's see, not reporting a credible threat to the community that results in a crime. While reprehensible according to the law isn't actually a crime. I disagree with that but I'll let you and dad decide, Mellissa. Assaulting an officer and threatening another officer of the law are crimes. Resisting arrest is a crime. Assaulting an officer and locking him in a broom closet is a crime and planning to murder the sheriff is also a crime. Oh and by the way while not reporting the crime isn't a crime you and Deaton telling the others not to report the rogue Alpha is, so there's that. How'd I do, dad?"

John Stilinski stared at his son impressed and said, "Brilliant, my son is brilliant."

"No, just pissed off," Stiles said the Nogitsune making him flinch slightly as he went back to sit down in the chair. He lifted his books and found the pencil once again broken. "Really?" he muttered hostilely.

"I don't think you were meant to use that thing," Derek offered helpfully.

"Yeah but could you imagine the mess if I was using a pen instead," Stiles replied, before he looked up to find the other occupants of the hospital room staring at he and Derek. "So how much time would he get? Oh and don't worry I'll deal with Deaton and the others."

"No you can deal with the other Pack members. Being the only other adult involved, I'll deal with Dr. Deaton when I get out of here, Stiles." his dad said using Tone Three. He used that tone, whenever he thought Stiles needed to be reminded who the adult in the relationship was

"This is, from what I've been told, his second offense in a week. Minor injury like what happened earlier can be one year, knocking the deputy out is five to twenty five years. False imprisonment or kidnapping can be life imprisonment. If the werewolf had caused a death, you would all be considered accessories Scott you and your Pack and Deaton. I suggest you remember that the next time you blindly decide to follow your ambassador." the Sheriff said in a tired but no less harsh tone.

"Emissary dad, but I think they get the point." Stiles said as he looked up to see mother and son both looking a little grey. "That being said Ms. McCall I think you will appreciate, that it would be rather bad if Scott were in jail say around the full moon. Which is why Derek very kindly altered the deputies memories. Why the fact that Scott being in my dad's room, despite the restraining order, has not been reported to Deputy Parrish and why you were called here."

"So Scott will abdicate his Alpha status for the time being. He is grounded except for Pack meetings, full moons and the monster dujjour. Derek will be acting Alpha if he doesn't mind, until he's served out the sentence of the Pack elders. He may at your choice of course, continue his work at Dr. Deaton, community service, and whatever chores or tasks you see fit." Stiles said much more calm as he was once again sitting in the chair with Derek's hand once again on his shoulder. No one noticed when the Spark reached up and held the older mans hand in place with his own.

Scott was looking at everyone else in the room and finally looking at Stiles he asked, "Don't I get a say in this?"

"No Scott, you don't. That's why its called punishment." said Melissa McCall in a slightly amused if firm tone..


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N~ Avast me heartys, there is an implied love scene ahead between two consenting adult males. It happens off screen so to speak. there is Scott whump in the first scene, angst in the second, and adult intimate post-bliss after. Also pagan ritualism in the third scene, as well as nudity. I hope that's all the triggers and warnings. There is a reason for the T-rating. Thank you also to all those who favorited and followed this story and for the reviews as well. I appreciate your support. ~A**

 **Chapter 9**

 _For in that sleep of death,_

 _What dreams may come._

 _When we have shuffled_

 _off this mortal coil._

Stiles moved towards his old friend almost faster than the human eye can follow and suddenly Scott finds himself with a new set of leather cuffs on his wrist. There is a spark of electricity as Stiles releases them and a dark smile crosses the face of the lanky teen.

Scott looks at him with the betrayed puppy look and Stiles feels the sudden urge to laugh in his face. He presses the emotion back down as he backs away from his best friend, and breaths a sigh of relief. Scot lifts his arms to stare at the leather cuffs and then glares at Stiles as he demands, "What did you do Stiles?"

"Think of it as a restraining order specifically designed for werewolves, or for the time being, specifically designed for you." Stiles said emotionlessly.

"I told you I wouldn't…" Scott began.

"Yeah unless it suits your needs to do otherwise," said Stiles and although his voice didn't change in timbre, his expression became bitter as he reminded. "Like Decaulion, Gerard, the Nogitsune."

"You mean you," Scott said vehemently his arms nearly shaking as he spoke.

"No Scott I mean the Nogitsune. We were two separate things, the fact he controlled me for a time, you never really got. You never really accepted us as two separate entities. Especially not after Allison died." his voice never changed, but his face was crumpling when suddenly he drew in a deep shuddering breath as he added, "and it never occurred to you to blame Kira's mom of course."

"The woman who originally summoned the Nogitsune, the one who originally released the Oni. No that would hit a little too close to home with you already starting to fall for Kira. So yeah couldn't do that, couldn't blame Ms. Blake for releasing them from the Nemeton either could you. The fireflies, the first sign of the Nogitsune, cause after all we were already blaming her for the parents being kidnapped and after all Decaulion had already killed her."

"So had to find another patsy, didn't matter that I was fighting him every step of the way. No had to blame skinny, defenseless Stiles. Couldn't understand why the Nogitsune would pick me. But it did, so what better target for your rage, your anger, your chaos, than the one person and the one thing you really shouldn't push it at. The one possessed by a chaos demon, something that feeds on chaos. Perfectly logical." he said nodding his head.

The teen turned his head to stare at his father and Derek for a minute because suddenly he couldn't look at Scott anymore without being sick. He walked toward the older man and kissed him on his forehead giving him a hug and whispering, "I'm really glad you're better Dad."

He turned to the door to make his escape, when suddenly Scot spoke up and for just a split second Stiles thought he might do something like apologize, or something but no, that would mean Scott was guilty of making a mistake. Instead he asked, "Stiles, how were you able to do all this? Do magic? Keep your dad from becoming a werewolf? If you're not the Nogitsune?"

"Yeah cause clearly if stupid little me were doing magic I must be possessed. Me who you have never listened to, except when I was possessed. I have been doing magic since Deaton gave me a bag of mountain ash and told me to believe, Scott. You just never noticed." Stiles said, staring at the other teen as if he were a blithering idiot, which he was beginning to suspect.

"As to how I saved my dad? Hysterically ironic actually. Because of the Nogitsune, I was researching how to exorcise a spirit. Having a wolf bite you is like being possessed, so there you go. All your questions answered? No of course not. Couldn't be that simple. Saved my dad from where you decided us lowly mortals didn't need to be warned. Saved him from being turned by a werewolf. Stood up to my best friend who is being beyond a jackass." he said.

He then met Scott's eyes with an openly hostile expression as he said, "Yeah so clearly still possessed or is it possessed again. Can the thing even come back? Didn't you kill it? Capture it? Whatever? You know what, it doesn't matter. I'm bored." he said before leaving the hospital room.

 **XXXXXXXXX**

Stiles sat on the roof of the now closed and darkened video store, he turned something over and over in his hand. His feet dangled over the side of the store, but because he was on the side away from the street lights, no one, not even the two patrol cars that had driven past had noticed.

Pauses in flipping the ring dagger around his finger, as he senses Derek come up behind him. "You know," he says out loud, "you may be better at this part than me."

The werewolf doesn't answer but he doesn't really have to Stiles can practically hear the eyebrow going up in question. "The part where people betray you and you can at least pretend it doesn't matter to you. Have to say except for the angry face, you have one of the best poker faces on the planet."

"Seriously, anger, hate, betrayal, pain, lust, love. All the same. We should enter you in one of those poker tournaments, just have to get you some Ray Bans so they can't see your eyes glowing red. Oh yeah and so you don't do that laser thing with your eyes to the camera."

Again the speaking without words. Stiles can practically hear the Alpha roll his eyes. Then Derek comes and sits down beside the teen feet dangling right beside Stiles own as he said in a quiet voice, "Stiles, what are you talking about?"

"Nothing, sorry, wrong venue," the teen said a little morosely.

"Stiles?" Derek says and wow so much meaning in that one syllable.

"He never noticed anything about me after he met Allison, except the Nogitsune. He never noticed how much I was trying to tell him about the werewolf thing, never noticed how betrayed I felt when he went along with Gerard. Especially after the old geezer beat the crap out of me."

"After Allison trapped me for him of course. How he went along with Decaulion even after he kidnapped and killed Erica and then forced you to kill Boyd. Never thanked me for saving his mom. Nope all he remembers now is the Nogitsune." Stiles said angrily.

"He doesn't get that he should have warned people about the Rogue Alpha. People being his Mom, my Dad, us. I'll also bet you anything that Kira and Liam found a way to warn their families and of course Deaton saved his own skin," and now there was frustration and tired in his scent.

"At least I know he didn't send you after me," Stiles said before sensing the wordless tension that suddenly wafted over the Alpha sitting next to him.

"Oh God, please don't tell me. You're supposed to what? Track me down, keep me talking till he gets here, something like that?"

"Yes, yes, and yes more," Derek said and Stiles was grateful for the amusement in his tone.

"Yes more?" Stiles asked curiously.

"Track you, distract you, knock you out if necessary and take you to him." Derek replied a tad sheepishly as the pair finally looked at each other.

"Oh, knock me out that's new." Stiles says thoughtfully.

"Yeah new. So was the electric shock the cuffs gave him and the fact he ended up unconscious on the floor with his hands joined together, after he made the suggestion."

Stiles actually giggled, as he said, "Yeah well I've been practicing the magic for a while. I never tried it out in the open. I always figured everyone would laugh or freak out or both if I did." he looked over at Derek from beneath his lashes and said, "Figured you would too, actually."

"Yeah well you were wrong about me," said Derek and then added, "Magic doesn't bother me, but that isn't all you were wrong about."

"What else was I wrong about?" asked the teen as he gazed at the werewolf.

"Me not having emotions. Trust me I do feel things Stiles." he said seriously.

Stiles answered him gently, "I didn't say you didn't have emotions Sour Wolf. I said you were better at hiding them, than me."

"Which is why, I need to tell you, just in case you didn't figure it out from my "poker" face. Or my one word answers, grunts and growls." He reached up and ran his fingers along the cheek of the younger man as he said through a suddenly dry throat, "I love you Stiles, I always have."

Stiles mouth fell open for a few seconds until the werewolf lifted his chin with a finger. His nerves showing in the slight tremor of the finger as he said, "What no witty comebacks or snarky nicknames?"

"A uhm Sap?" stuttered Stiles, "No, Sappy Wolf, Sugar Wolf?"

When Derek rolled his head away in irritation and made to get up the teen yanked his arm out from under him and then crawled up his frame. He pinned him in place, his knees planted on either side of Derek's waist. His lush lips were mobile and just as talented and delicious as Derek remembered as they moved over his own. Parting Derek's lips gently but insistently, Stiles explored the older wolf.

Starting with the mouth, then tasting the lip, he then nibbled along the whiskered jaw line. His heated breath tracing along the skin caused Derek to shiver and his hips to hitch up into Stiles body where he straddled the taller man.

Stiles worked his hoody over his head and laid it beside them on the rough surface of the roof.

Stiles suddenly remembered where they were and lifted his head to look into the dazed and glowing eyes of the Alpha and said, "This is not where I want to do this."

He stood up and pulled the wolf to his feet as he brushed gravel and debris from the wolfs hair and back carefully. He continued to talk softly and soothingly to the Alpha as he gathered his hoody and backpack. "I want to make love to you under the stars, where we can actually see the stars."

He reached up to caress the bearded cheek of the taller man as he whispered against hi lips, "I want to lay you down on a bed of sweet grass, where you can hear the sounds of the wind through the trees."

Stiles hands then went under Derek's shirt and stroked the Alpha's smooth skin as he said, "I want to take you and have you take me in front of the eyes of the forest. I want them to see how much I love you as I claim you for my very own."

"I want that so much," he said as he came to stand back in front of the werewolf. Eyes bright with unshed tears as he bit his lip, "but I want you to know the truth first and…its gonna hurt when I see that light go out of your eyes." Holding the werewolves hand he led him down the stairs to his Jeep.

He held the palm of Derek's hand to his cheek and said sadly, "Please don't ask me any questions yet. I want to take you someplace, then I'll explain everything the best I can, okay?" Reluctantly the werewolf agreed, and Stiles turned his face into Derek's palm and kissed it softly. The pair got in the Jeep and Stiles drove them to the Preserve in silence.

They reached the Preserve and drove as far as they could then got out and hiked. Stiles didn't let go of Derek's hand once they got out of the Jeep, even when his palm became sweaty with nerves. He was carrying his backpack and his sleeping bag in the other.

When they came out into the clearing that held the Nemeton Derek could admit to being pensive. Nothing good usually came of this tree, Stiles did finally let go of his hand to open the sleeping bag and spread it on a grassy patch next to the tree. Dropping his hoody on top of it, he turned to face the werewolf. "I was in love with you from the moment I first saw you in the woods with your broody face," he said with a sad smile.

"But I want us to start this the right way, I want to be honest with you," he drew a deep shuddering breath Derek smelled the sour taint of fear off the younger man and stepped toward him when Stiles smiled sadly at him again as he held up a hand to halt him in place. "Derek, the Nogitsune, is still inside of me."

"No," Derek said simply.

"It's true," Stiles said, "he's deeper but weaker. I'm in control most of the time, but when Dad was attacked I was in bed asleep. I woke up running in the forest to get to him."

"No," Derek repeated, "It's you Stiles, you have the Nogitsune, but it doesn't have you. You have the shadow of its memories, so you're learning things from what it knew."

"And if it's not?" Stiles demanded, "If I'm right and I'm possessed, then what? Can you accept me like this? Can you still lo…like me like this?"

"No," seeing the devastated look on the boys face, Derek lunged forward and pulled Stiles gangly frame into his arms and said, "I love you, I will love you if you are the Nogitsune. I would let it kill…"

"Don't say it," Stiles hissed holding Derek's face in both hands, "Don't you dare say that."

A slow smile spread across his face as Derek said, "Still think you're the Nogitsune?"

Stiles mouth fell open as what the wolf said registered, "You played me?"

"No," Derek said sneakily looping his arms around Stiles waist, "I'm making you see it doesn't matter to me because we love each other. Now where were we?"

Stiles stood still for a moment, processing what was going on and realizing the man he'd wanted all along, wanted him back, even if he was possessed. He suddenly smiled and said, "Right about here," as he tumbled Derek back onto the waiting sleeping bag.

 **XXXXXXXXX**

Derek woke slowly, he could feel the damp of the early morning mist still heavy on the ground. Yet he was snuggled into the sleeping bag with the scent of Stiles and his love making still spicing the material. He opened his eyes to a strange sight.

Stiles standing nude between Derek and the Nemeton, putting his soiled boxer briefs on top of the tree stump like a pagan offering. As Derek watched his lover raised his hands in the gesture of a supplicant and whispered something under his breath. Derek felt a shiver of power go through him and his wolf whined and preened at the same time, "Mate, powerful mate, worthy mate." and he felt certain parts of his anatomy take an interest.

As Stiles moved to another position, Derek spoke, "You know that has to be one of the most disturbing things I have ever seen, and yet I don't seem to mind the view at all," he said as he sat up and threw back the cover of the sleeping bag.

Stiles looked over at the sleep rumpled werewolf and couldn't help but smile as his own body took an interest in his incredibly attractive lover. "Yeah well if someone hadn't worn me out last night, it would have been fresher, imagine how disturbing that might be."

"Er, rather not thanks," Derek said, making a face. He watched as Stiles performed the supplicant gesture again and poured a bottle of water over the tree stump, being careful not to pour too close to the soiled underwear. Derek felt another surge of power feather across his skin. Then Stiles moved again this time reaching into a bowl at his feet to pour a handful of rich earth over the tree, and Derek saw the marks.

The marks he had made on his lover, reddened claw marks, the bite on his shoulder to show who he belonged to. The love marks or hickeys, and the abrasions on the fair skin made by his beard. Stiles seemed to bear them with pride as he moved gracefully around the tree, and Derek was grateful to note no pain from his Mate.

Derek stood up and stretched making sure to make a display of it for Stiles. The teen smirked as he completed the ritual. He made sure to put everything back in his backpack pretending to ignore the werewolf. Although he was pretty sure the Alpha didn't need heightened senses to know the teen was interested, not when the evidence was obvious to anyone with eyes.

He stood back up contemplating taking a little bath in the nearby stream. When Derek wrapped his arms around him from behind, his erection sliding across the teens bare bottom made him shiver and bite his lip. As a whiskered cheek nuzzled into his neck and Derek's lips mouthed the claim bite on Stiles shoulder.

"Come back to bed, it's early and I've only explored about half of your body, maybe one third, and some parts I'd love to re-examine, at length," he said. While one arm snaked around and held the teen in place the other was free to do some of that exploring Derek had mentioned.

"You've already forgotten what we were supposed to be doing today, haven't you?" Stiles asked with breathless amusement. Derek merely grumbled into his neck questioningly.

Stiles laughed as the exploring fingers found a particularly ticklish spot, then said, "I find it very gratifying that I can make you forget things just with the power of my body. However we are kind of on a time crunch here so I'll remind you." Then he groaned as Derek found an erogenous zone he didn't know he had. Stiles drew in a deep, slightly shaky breath and said huskily, "Braeden, hell hound, poison, antidote? Ringing any bells here Sugar Wolf?"

Derek groaned protractedly and then growled which had Stiles giggling at the ticklish sensation the sound made as it shivered down his spine. "You are disturbing my attempts at seduction here," the werewolf mumbled into his hair as he kissed the back of Stiles head.

The amber eyed teen turned and gave the older man a dazzling smile, "Hold onto that thought and when we get back, we can come back here and you can work on the other two thirds of me and I can try to keep enough energy to actually put a fresh offering out for the Nemeton."

Derek made another face even as he nuzzled noses with Stiles. Then leaning foreheads together he said, "You know that's still disturbing, right?"

Stiles smiled and gave the werewolf a peck on the nose as he slipped out of his arms and walked away making sure to put a little extra sway in his hips as he said, "Yeah, but I can guarantee you'll still like the view."

Derek was mesmerized but managed to agree, "Damn straight."

Stiles laughed as he sassed, "Oh I hope not."

Derek rubbed his jaw and said, "Bad, very bad." Then seeing Stiles rummaging through what had to be some kind of bottomless backpack he asked, "What are you looking for?"

"I had soap and a washcloth in here, or I thought I did. Thought we could go down to the stream and maybe wash up a bit before we get started. Though I do want to let my dad know where we're going, and make sure he still has the protective detail in place, just in case Scott sends one of the others to test my resolve."

He looked over at the werewolf as he said the last and was startled to find a panicked look on Derek's face. "What? What's the matter?" he asked worriedly

Derek smoothed out his expression and asked a little whine in the back of his throat, "Don't, please."

At Stiles look of confusion Derek uncharacteristically explained, "You smell like mine. If you bathe, you won't…"

Stiles expression cleared and he smiled warmly at his lover, "Possessive, I like it. Just remember Sugar Wolf, I can be too." He said reaching up to grab hold of the werewolves head and pull it down into a breath stealing kiss. "And if Braeden comes within three feet of you, I'll rip her throat out with my teeth," Stiles said seriously as he gently stroked fingers across his own claiming bite on Derek's shoulder.

Derek felt his wolf shudder with pleasure, and curl up in contentment. As he watched Stiles walk across the clearing to where his jeans lay discarded and pull them over his hips commando style. When he went to pull on his t-shirt though Derek snatched it out of his fingers and handed him his own tank top.

Stiles smiled and pulled the tank top over his head and then pulled the flannel shirt over top of that. He turned looking for his hoody only to find Derek had already pulled the red material over his own head. Stiles tilted his head and smiled at the happy sniff the werewolf gave to the hoody. "Looks good on you," he said as he gathered the last of the things they had brought with them.

"Just so you know though Sappy Wolf, you get to explain to my dad why you're wearing my hoody." he said as he led the way back into the Preserve.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N~ Papa Stilinski has a watered down version of the Talk with Stiles and Derek. Our Daring Duo save Braeden and we are winding down to final chapters. Had to redo part of this chapter because I left out a whole paragraph of the healing process. Sorry about that. ~A**

 **Chapter 10**

Stiles was pleased to see the security detail in front of his fathers hospital room. True they were hospital security and not deputies, but they were muscular and looked capable. Plus they actually asked for his ID and a list was checked to make sure he was an acceptable visitor for the wounded Sheriff.

When Stiles walked into his dad's room and found the man sitting up in bed with his reading glasses on reading what was obviously a police report. The teen wasn't sure whether he should be happy that is father felt strong enough to do so or angry and yelling at his dad for doing work instead of resting and recuperating from nearly being killed.

He decided scowling was an acceptable halfway point, his dad looked at his son over the tops of his glasses looking unimpressed at the glare he was getting from the younger man. When Stiles crossed his arms and upped the scowl to a Level Three.

His dad finally succumbed, removing his glasses to rub the bridge of his nose as he mumbled, "It's just some cold cases, kid. I was going stir crazy. Trust me, it was this or one of the nurses coming in and finding me gnawing on the furniture. Somehow I don't think that would go along way in convincing your friends I'm not turning into a werewolf."

Stiles couldn't hold the scowl after that statement especially with the image of his dad with a chair leg in his mouth and one of the nurses with a rolled up newspaper in her hands. He snorted uncontrollably, then heaved a put upon sigh as he said, "Don't get me wrong dad. You have no idea how glad I am you're getting better, I just want you to relax and recover and not push it, okay?"

"Kid, we still have bills from here and the Eichen House, we haven't…"

"Dad, I'm being paid for my services to the Hale Pack as their emissary and resident magic user." Stiles said and knew instantly it probably wasn't the best way of putting that.

"Since when do Pack members get paid?" his father asked his brows knit thoughtfully as those too observant eyes studied his son.

"Usually they don't but I am the only human in the Pack and spell components and so forth can get expensive as can hospital stays." he said easily. "Not that I plan on having anymore of those anytime soon," Stiles said holding up his hands to forestall any protests from his father on that front. "Let's make a deal, I'll stay out of the hospital as long as you do too. Deal?"

"Deal," his dad said easily enough, and father and son went in for a manly hug. Unfortunately some of the files slid off of the Sheriff's lap and into the floor. Stiles said quickly, "I got it."

Stiles knelt down to pick up the scattered pages and try to reassemble the files in some kind of order. When there was a quiet knock on the door and one of the security guards asked his father, "Sir, do you know someone named Derek Hale? He says he's here with your son."

"Yes I do, let Mr. Hale in please," the sheriff replied.

Stiles was going after a page of one of the reports that had slid under the heating and cooling unit when he heard his father ask, "So Derek exactly how long have you been sleeping with my son?"

Stiles head snapped up and into the unit and he went back down on the floor in a heap and a sharp yelp of pain. "Stiles," called both older men as Derek came around the hospital bed to check on the teen.

"Ow, again." came a groan as the teen clutched the gathered files to his chest with one hand and the other to the back of his head. Derek helped him to stand and wobbly walk over to the chair beside the hospital bed and sit down.

He looked up at Derek and asked, "Not bleeding right?"

Gently moving Stiles hand away he examined the wound his eyes glowing red. There's a scrape and swelling but no, no bleeding." He gently placed his fingers around the injured area and began pulling the pain out of his lover. The Sheriff had actually put his glasses back on and watched in fascination as black veins appeared to run up the Alpha's arm, Stiles groan of relief was followed a moment later by a slight hissing noise by the bearded man.

Followed by his son batting the hand away and saying, "Keep that up and you might not be able to drive." Stiles placed the files back in is dad's lap, the teen asked. "Would you mind going and getting my backpack out of the SUV, it has something I can take that can fix me right up?"

Looking between father and son and seeing the impending explosion. Derek was torn between helping his mater right now and protecting him from what might be coming, "Please Der, I need to have this conversation with my dad and werewolf honor aside. It's time I acting like a grownup, if I'm going to be a grownup." Derek smiled and kissed the boy on the head where the lump was growing very gently, before heading out of the room.

Stiles forestalled his father by speaking more quickly. "First off, don't talk to Derek like this is all on him. In case you don't remember my birthday was two months ago, I'm eighteen and perfectly capable of making the decisions about who and when I have sex. Secondly, I have had feelings for Derek Hale since I was fifteen, which is part of the reason I have been trying to have the conversation with you about my sexuality since then."

"You're not gay," his dad said sharply.

Stiles replied just as sharply, "No, I'm bi, and I hate to tell you this dad but who I love has absolutely nothing to do with how I dress. It has to do with whom I'm attracted to, and three how did you even know?"

"I may be getting older but I haven't gone blind. You've got hickeys and beard burn all over your neck and shoulders. Only one person I know of you hanging around who has a beard. Process of elimination. "

"Brilliant. Simple, yet brilliant."

"Plus there's the fact he's wearing your hoody."

"Ah yea, there is that," Then Stiles said a little more sadly, "By the way, you didn't seem to have any problem with me potentially sleeping with Lydia or Malia for that matter. I thought better of you than to think you were a homophobe dad."

"It's not that Stiles, it's just he's older and he's been in trouble with the law," his father continued, "He was a suspect in two murders,"

"Both because of me and neither of which he committed dad. He was acquitted remember."

"And you're my son,"

"And I'm not a virgin!" Stiles nearly shouted. Then face palmed and then shook his head as he continued, "I mean I wasn't a virgin before Derek. Come on dad, you're a guy. Did you really think all Malia and I did was study?"

"Derek is okay with you sleeping with his cousin?" his dad asked.

"Dad, Derek and I are different and we both know it. Don't worry about the shovel speech either. I gave him my own shovel speech, complete with the shovel. Now listen Derek and I are going out of town. We have to go help Braeden, you remember who that is right? I think I remember you meeting her didn't you, did you?" Stiles babbled.

At his father's slightly confused nod, "Ok so apparently she got bit by a hell hound. They have venom and it's not a pretty death when they bite someone. Derek originally came back to ask Deaton for help. Deaton couldn't help but I'm pretty sure I can?"

"Pretty sure?" his father asked doubtfully.

"Pulled a werewolf out of you, didn't I?"

Before he can answer Derek is back with the requested backpack and a smile of relief. Perhaps at the fact the two occupants of the room aren't screaming at each other. Stiles took the backpack and a vial out of one of the pockets. He put a few drops into one of the plastic cups before pouring water in over that.

He drank the water greedily and said, "Thanks I needed that. We'll be back in a few days, hopefully Scott will have gotten his head out of his ass before then," he hugged his father and kissed him on the forehead as he said, "Love you dad, don't work too hard. You're supposed to be recuperating from being attacked by a crazy man. You make this look too easy, everybody will want to try it."

John looked after where the pair had exited and said to himself quietly, "I just let my teenage son go off on a road trip with his werewolf lover," The sheriff shook his head and gave a little laugh and asked, "How is this my life?" As he put his glasses back on as he went back to the file in his lap.

 **XXXXXXXXX**

"You're father knows about us and I'm not dead." Derek spoke finally as they were actually driving past the city limits sign.

"Yeah I think you're safe for the time being Scaredy Wolf." Stiles said teasingly. "Hey wake me up when we get on a straight shot and I'll drive for a while."

"What? No babble to help me stay awake?" Derek asked with a little whine in his throat.

"You were the one who wrecked me remember," Stiles asked, "Fine enough with the Grumpy Brows, find a place that has really good coffee and I'll be able to stay awake and keep you awake too."

The Alpha looked up the closest non-Starbucks coffee shop and found one in the next town. Suitably refueled the teen did as requested, first with some information in what he would probably be able to do to help Braeden.

The pair talked about various Pack things Derek told Stiles about the latest letter he had gotten from Issac. Apparently the pair had sort of patched things up soon after the curly haired blond had headed off to Paris with Chris, after Allison's death. Derek had even been talking to the fair haired pup about returning to Beacon Hills soon. Offering to provide the Beta a plane ticket and ride home.

Jackson and Stiles had strangely enough started up a phone friendship. The former kanima had called Stiles with a question about differences between the different species of werewolves. Apparently London werewolves were more feral, rabid even than the Beacon Hills variety and didn't follow any rules or codes.

Stiles made a few suggestions , like check with the local counsel, he had even given him an address. Only to find the local counsel was more a group of role players than actual wolves. Then Jackson had discovered a pair of teens being attacked by a trio of Betas. He fought off the other three Betas, Derek's much complained about training sessions coming in hand as the trio were an undisciplined lot. He had taken the bitten pair to a safe place and patched them up. Those were the first two friends he had made in London.

He now had a Pack of his own of sorts. Three Omegas and the two humans. They were held together by Jackson and a code he created. Jackson was still a Beta, but he was the leading force behind his small Pack. Jackson said they were keeping a low profile only going to school and public places because there was an Alpha who was trying to recruit them and not in a good way. Stiles had offered advice and sent Mountain Ash, Mistletoe and various other supplies through the mail.

In short the pair talked to each other until just before they headed into the desert. Stiles had the werewolf stop at a convenience store. The pair walked in and Stiles grabbed a six pack of liter waters, a small tube of painkillers and a pack of gum. Mint Mojito flavor of course. He came back and added a bag of Doritos on the way to the rest room.

Derek paid for the exorbitantly priced goods and pulled a map out of the Jeep. He had cracked open one of the waters and was studying the map when Stiles came back out. Stiles had guzzled down two of the waters before they ever left the parking lot and had cracked open the third as they pulled out of the lot.

 **XXXXXXXXX**

They arrived at the very small town of Sutter's Canyon and within five minutes they were at the only motel in the small town. It had a grand total of eight rooms. Derek drove to the last room and waited for Stiles to crawl stiffly from the SUV. He pulled his backpack from behind the seat and sighed as he slammed the door, instead of heading to the motel room, Stiles looked around what he could see of the town.

He shook his head and looked over at Derek and asked, "How long ago did this happen?"

"Five maybe six days?" Derek said thoughtfully though the statement came out more as a question.

"This isn't good," he said before determinedly heading for the motel room. The stifling heat of the desert was actually defeated by the cool that came out of the hotel room for a moment. The stench that followed the draft of cold air, had both of them nearly retching.

The smell was of rotten meat, sulfur and something like road kill. To see the gray color of death in Braeden's face had them both worry that they were too late even though Stiles knew they should have at least another week before the bite should have killed the mercenary.

He went to the bedside and felt Braeden's forehead and she reacted violently reaching for the 9 mil. at her side on the bed. Stiles caught her wrist but the former Federal Marshall began to struggle even more violently. He told Derek, "Talk to her, speak in a soothing voice, remind her who you are and that you're here to help her."

With a mental yank the table that most used for meals or as a desk was suddenly beside the bed and Stiles was pulling out several jars of ingredients and a bowl. He blended these ingredients then added a drop of what looked for all the world like liquid sunshine. What looked like a wooden chopstick stirred the ingredients by itself.

Heading to the bathroom the teen grabbed the towels that were there. "Strip her," he said dispassionately as he came back into the room. Derek had pulled back the sheets to show a dressing that very clearly had yellow fluids coming through the wrapping Stiles abandoned the towels and instead reached for the bedspread.

"Which side was the wound on?" Stiles asked, studying the dressing with a disturbingly placid expression. At the moment Derek could believe that he was the Nogitsune, studying a move on his Go! Board.

"The right side, between the rib cage and the hip bone." the Alpha answered.

"Yeah okay, the owner of the motel is going to demand to be repaid for all of this bedding, including the mattress." Stiles said without inflection.

"Why?" asked Derek already suspecting he knew the answer.

"Cause we're going to have to burn it all. Including the clothes she was wearing." Stiles said as he examined the self-stirring potion and Derek saw silvery vapor coming from the bowl. "Going to need garbage bags, I have big ones in my backpack," Stiles said as he pulled on a pair of purple gloves.

He pulled a sharp knife out of a silver looking scabbard, leaning the hilt against the scabbard so that the blade didn't touch any surfaces. He then pulled out three silver jeweled rectangles with jeweled buttons on the side. He put the boxes jewel side down which showed several tiny teeth

Stiles looked at his lover and said, "Derek knock her out,"

Derek looked at the teen his mouth hanging open, "What?" he said hoarsely.

"I know you care about her still on some level but what I'm about to do will hurt more than anything she has ever experienced. Depending on how far along the process is she may try and fight back and that would be very bad for all three of us, knock her out." Stiles said and there was an inflection in his voice that said he was disturbed by all of this but was focusing on the task at hand.

Derek held Braeden's face in his hands, "I'm sorry honey, this will only hurt for a minute," Then he struck her in the jaw, with just enough werewolf power to ensure she was rendered unconscious.

"Ok you need to wait outside now," Stiles said and the way he was looking at Derek was a little sad and lost as he gave the order.

It took Derek a moment to actually realize what Stiles had said, "What, why?"

"I told you, this isn't going to be pleasant, it's going to be messy, it's going to stink, be painful and then there will be the cleanup and the healing. Your werewolf senses, you're not going to want to be in the room. Especially when you care about her." Stiles explained looking into his lovers eyes.

"I may care about her, but I love you Stiles. Are you going to stay in the room?"

"Of course, I have to be in the room." Stiles said staring at the older man incredulously.

"Then so do I," Derek said hotly and Stiles looked down sheepishly and nodded with a slight smile. He handed Derek another pair of the gloves then pulled out matching goggles and face masks. When they were both "suited up" Stiles took a pair of bandage scissors and began removing the dressing.

Even Derek flinched when the pus that had dried into the dressing material had the peeling away process seem more like a cast being removed. Crackling and oozing purulent material and revolting odor to finally expose the wound.

Derek was appalled at the site, "It was a clean bite mark," he hissed clearly disturbed.

"Yeah, the hell hound venom is kind of like the venom of say a brown recluse spider. It liquefies the flesh underneath, and the tissue around the bite mark. She's lucky she has no magic or it would probably have worked twice as fast." Stiles said as he went over to Braeden's left side. Skin that had once been toned and the color of hot chocolate was now a waxy grayish color.

Stiles took a deep breath as if mentally preparing himself and then began applying pressure to an area opposite the gaping hole in Braedens side. A virtual wave of bloody puss and bits of flesh suddenly gushed out of the wound onto the rolled up bed spread and towels.

Even unconscious Braeden moaned pitifully as the teen continued to push the virulent material out of Braeden's body. It was obvious that this was actually quite difficult and it was also obvious that whatever extra flesh the young woman had been disintegrated by the hellhound's venom. Derek could literally see where Stiles was carefully working around the former Marshall's internal organs.

The only thing that prevented Derek from loosing the Tex Mex dinner they'd had on the way here, was keeping his eyes on Stile's face. He looked up at Derek and asked, "Can you help me put her on her side for a minute?" he said as he came back around and dumped the spread into the garbage bag.

He placed several towels from the bathroom on the bed as Derek gently but securely rolled Braeden on her side towards the wound. Again the young woman moaned in pain but remained unconscious as Stiles carefully examined her back.

He sided again and Derek somehow managed to discern that this was a relieved sound, as the twin indicated he should put her back down. Once again he came back to her left side and again worked to empty her torso of the poisonous liquid. When he seemed satisfied, he once again traced over organs applying gentle pressure to the rib cage and whispered, "Thank you," as nothing came out of the now gaping hole.

He placed more towels over the top of the soiled ones and took out the last of the liter bottles of water they had gotten from the convenience store. He then began muttering in a guttural language, at first Derek thought it might be Latin but this was rougher, darker, older and apparently more powerful as the water began to glow blue with power.

After uncapping the bottle, Stiles pushed Braeden up on her unwounded side with one hand and poured the be-spelled water into the wound. Her abdomen suddenly started glowing blue, through the pallid skin. "Don't inhale," Stiles suddenly advised.

A moment later a cloud of flies flew out of the wound, they glowed blue as they floated to the ceiling. They gravitated to a beam of sunlight that was coming over the top of the curtain on the front window of the hotel room. Where they seemed to burn away to nothing in an instant.

Stiles seemed to gasp a little painfully but when Derek looked at his lover Stiles looked tired but unfazed as he lowered the young woman back onto her back. The liquid came pouring back out of the wound but it was clear. No more toxic looking liquid came out of the wound.

Removing the wooden chopstick, Stiles suddenly looked over at Derek and lifting the bowl a little awkwardly said, "This is the part where you're going to have to hold her in place no matter what." Lifting her onto her side Derek took Braeden's wrists in one large palm and held them securely but gently as Stiles poured the bowl of liquid into the wound. He then tossed the bowl onto the bed and held the wound closed with his gloved hands,

Derek grabbed the mercenaries hips as she suddenly began to convulse violently. Her abdomen began to glow as if lit from within. First it was her abdomen and then it spread to her torso, and the up to her face and light began glowing out her eyes and mouth. Now Stiles had tossed the bowl aside to help Derek hold the woman in place as she shook uncontrollably.

When the tremors finally subsided the two men lowered her back to the bed and the formerly silvery glowing material flowed back out of the wound. It was now as black as squids ink. The wound was back to almost the same bite mark size as before Derek thought. Stiles moved back over to Braeden's left size and once again went through the process of pushing the liquid out of the body.

Not that much of the inky liquid seemed to be left in the body but Stiles didn't seem to be taking any chances. He then took the jeweled clips from the table. he pinched the two sides of the wound together and placed the clips on the wound and pressed one of the jeweled buttons on the back of the clip. He moved on down the seam of the wound repeating the process. By the time he had placed the third, the first had activated. A whirring, sound followed by a snap and then a clicking sound. By the time the third had started the process the first was finished and the device had fallen off to reveal a neat line of stitches with a metal yet flexible tube sticking out of the stitched he was done he began to redress Braeden's wound and give Derek instructions.

"Go to the manager tell him we need at least two new rooms, for the night. That he's going to have to burn the bed and all the bedding, tell him you'll supervise. Tell him you'll pay five thousand if it's ready to be burned and we're set up within the hour. Tell him you'll double it if he doesn't ask questions. Cash." Stiles concludes as he finishes gathering the soiled linens and then double bagged them.

He set them outside the door as Derek said, "Stiles I don't usually carry that kind of cash with me."

"I do," Stiles said helpfully, "A practice I hope to maintain under your employ since Deaton is now Scott's emissary and was a crappy one for you. I'm now your emissary. Which you pay me well for by the way."

"Okay, but since when do you carry that kind of cash with you?" Derek asks a little snarkily.

"Since every Tom, Dick and Hairy-assed monster, spirit or demon seems to come out of the woodwork, anytime we go anywhere, or even when we don't go anywhere. Course they seem to do that even when we stay in town but you never know when you might need crystals or herbs or wooden bowls or metal bowl or bells or ritualistic silver daggers or a good 9 ml." He says shrugging his shoulders animatedly as he lifts his backpack onto the table and reaching into the lower pocket on the front, pulls out a bundle of money and shoves it at the werewolf.

"Just remember those rooms had better be clean and Braeden better have her own because I plan on dirtying the room and defiling you." Stiles said with a dark, sensual tone that had the werewolf almost shivering with anticipation. "New rooms, burning beds and then the fun." Stiles said shaking his finger at the older man as he took a step toward the teen.

Derek left the room determined to make a bargain for Stiles with the owner. After all the teen had college to think about in the future. Derek paused for the first time realizing he was thinking about the future. About something more than revenge or the next bad guy or surviving the next attack. He smiled freely as he entered the office, hoping that this was the beginning of a trend.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N~ Still running behind, still trying my best to catch up with all my writing, still loving all the positive feedback I'm getting. Thank you all so much. Please keep up the wonderful reviews and everything. Hope you continue to enjoy all of my writing. ~A**

 **Chapter 11**

 _Must give us pause._

 _There's the respect_

 _That makes calamity_

 _Of so long a life._

 _For who would bear the_

 _Whips and scorns of time._

 _The oppressors wrong,_

 _The proud man's contempt,_

 _the pangs of despised love._

Stiles hadn't realized either yesterday when he was too preoccupied with taking care of Braeden or last night when he was preoccupied with taking care of his mate. The rooms in this motel were set up strangely. Normally the picture windows for some reason in a motel room were set up to overlook either the parking lot or the pool.

The parking lot for when you were a crook on the run, which they weren't. The pool for hopefully looking at bathing clad beauties, this motel didn't have a pool.

The picture window was in the back of the room, the back of the hotel which looked out over the desert. Which was gorgeous at sunrise and sunset.

Stiles was watching it now as his Mate slept. The two of them were both marked from their lovemaking although Derek's were already healed for the most part. Stiles rolled his shoulders, the sun still hadn't completely risen. Which meant the desert was still colored in a strange gray blue heathery colored haze.

They had left the curtain open to the desert-scape last night as they made love to each other. Stiles pulled on his boxer briefs before standing up. He stretched luxuriously and crossed his arms, peacefully content. As the sun came over the horizon and tipped the distant beaks with light Stiles closed his eyes and opened his arms in the supplicant position.

He inhaled deeply and smelled the ozone before he heard the distant thunder. The forces of good were coming to cleanse the darkness from the town. He had sensed it yesterday as soon as they had entered the town. The Desert Wolf's hell hounds were just the start, someone or something wanted this small town for some reason.

Stiles had used a very small part of the energy from his and Derek's lovemaking to call for backup but because of Braeden's recent taint from the hellhound bite and Derek's being a werewolf they might be endangered by what was coming to take care of the evil in the small town. Stiles wasn't risking Derek's life or the life he had just worked so hard to save.

He hoped the former Marshall was strong enough to travel. Pulling on a pair of jeans out of his small duffle. He had left his backpack with his magical supplies in the other room, with Braeden. He padded into the bathroom soundlessly and managed to close the door to the bathroom without a sound. He brushed his teeth and relieved himself. He washed his hands and then did something he tried not to do on purpose.

Scanned the motel for threats, the three of them were the only inhabitants. other than the manager, who was already in the office. He lived in an apartment attached to the front office.

The older man had been spooked last night when they had burned everything. A black cloud of smoke had come out of the flames with a shriek, the fact it had the general shape of the upper body of a human complete with eye sockets. Stiles would have guessed the manager had probably lost control of his bodily functions, but as the man had run into his apartment and locked the door, the Spark couldn't be sure.

That's why someone had magically called for re-enforcements, and now they were here and Stiles had to get the pair under his care out of here. The powerful beings that had been sent would leave the innocents in the town alone. Stiles would make sure to leave a warning to keep them away from the motel, so the manager wouldn't be endangered. He left the toothbrush drying on the sink as he picked up the pair of room keys and stepped out of the motel room.

The sun was at an angle but the sidewalk was already warming up. His bare feet soaked up the heat, as he went to the other room. He used the key to unlock the door, Stiles had made the temperature more comfortable. Stiles imagined that the venom had actually moved more slowly because of the frigid temperature the wolf had left the room in. Derek had bathed the woman after the dressing and room changes.

Stiles hadn't felt comfortable leaving his Mate alone to bathe his former lover but he didn't feel comfortable watching or participating in the bathing either. So Stiles had his back turned as Derek bathed Braeden. Unfortunately, as Stiles had burned the clothes she had been bitten in and the ones that Derek had left her in, sleep clothes were in short supply.

Stiles had remembered seeing a trick Lydia had pulled with what was basically a huge silk scarf and made a halter dress for the former Marshall out of a flat sheet using the same technique. Luckily the technique had worked and was still intact whenever the Nogitsune had walked into the room.

He was not as careful as the boy when examining the rival for the werewolves attentions. Thanks to the care he and the boy had given however the wound was already healing. "Braeden," he called.

He called her name a couple more times before he got a reaction, a violent one. The woman sat up in the bed so sharply that if the Nogitsune hadn't been in control, Stiles would have a broken nose. She was shuffling in the sheets for the gun undoubtedly. The fox lifted it from the TV stand near the bed and said, "Looking for this?"

When the older woman had lunged off the bed throwing a punch at his face, the Nogitsune had, had enough. He caught the woman's hands and said sharply, "Enough! I swear if you have torn up my good work in healing you, I will personally bend you over and spank you like the spoiled brat your acting like."

The woman froze and the Nogitsune loosened his grip slightly but not enough to release the hold on her wrists. "Sit down before you fall down," he said leveraging the woman with the hold he still had on her wrists back onto the bed.

"I suppose you're going to tell me now, that where you come from trying to kill someone is how you say thank you for saving your life?" he said, as he pulled the backpack from the floor and rummaged through it. When the older woman didn't answer the fox spirit said helpfully, "On a scale of one to ten, how is your pain level?"

It was another minute or two before she answered, "What scale would getting hit by a runaway freight train fall under?" she finally asked.

"I think that actually falls under the Richter Scale," and the snort and then hiss of pain from Braeden actually has a smile splitting the lips of the Stiles stand-in. "Sense of humor is intact that's a good sign. Now I'd go about checking your sense of sarcasm as well, if you were a Sour Wolf. Luckily you are merely human so such a test will not have to be performed. Aren't you lucky?" he said with a smirk.

"If you could adjust your very fashionable garment, I need to check your wound and dressing," he added as he pulled out another pair of gloves and a small green jar. He turned back to her in time to see her untie and drop the sheet to the bed.

Luckily it was the Nogitsune in charge and not Stiles, as the younger man would be blushing so hard that his mental faculties would have been impaired by lack of oxygenated blood to the brain. The fox demon merely stared at the woman on the bed as he said coldly, "I am mated. I am aware you knew nothing of that, which is why I am not ripping your throat out. Now please put the sheet back on so I can treat you."

The older woman had the good grace to look a little shame faced as she draped the sheet back over her torso. He was no longer in a friendly mood at all. Pulling out more dressing materials he placed them on the bed beside her.

His movements now were cold, clinical and Braeden felt uncomfortable as he pulled the dressing away from the wound and studied the dressing and then the wound. He wasn't rough but Braeden knew something was going on she wasn't getting. He tossed the old dressing into the trash and said out loud, "Come in Sour Wolf, I left the door unlocked," he said to the air.

The door behind Stiles opened and in walked Derek, which was actually really surprising to Braeden. "What are you doing here?" Braeden asked and realized almost immediately she had asked the wrong question and in the wrong tone of voice.

Stiles had stiffened sharply and there was a darkness in his eyes that was downright chilling. Whereas Derek looked more as if he had slapped him in the face.

"We are here because your Uncle apparently gave you up as a lost cause," the teen said coldly as he tossed the soiled cloth he had been cleaning her wounds with in the can. "Apparently his kind don't treat hellhound wounds, or don't know how to. Depending on which you want to believe."

Braeden looked up at the openly hostile teen in shock. Hands appeared on both of the teens shoulders and rubbed soothingly. The younger man gave a frustrated huff before continuing what he was doing, applying a green gel to the wound in her side. "I offered my services to save you after saving my father of course."

"What happened to your father?" Braeden asked.

"That's not really any of your business, now is it?" Stiles answered as he applied the already prepared dressing one handed while tossing the gloves into the garbage. "We really don't have time for this. I'm going to go get her some clothes. We need to be out of here by noon, get her ready," he said as he pulled the garbage bag out of the trash can and carried it out of the room with him.

Derek opened the blinds and let the early morning light in and shortly afterward they watched as Stiles walked behind the owners apartment. He headed into the desert a short way still bare-chested and barefooted.

He walked a few steps further into the increasing heat of the desert and tossed the garbage into the air before sending a blast of energy they could actually see at it, vaporizing the small bag in mid-air. He then turned and walked back towards the end of the motel and out of their sight.

Braeden had sat up sharply when she had seen the boy vaporize the trash bag. When Derek looked neither startled or even surprised by the show of power, she figured she had missed something. He helped her into the bathroom and sat her on the edge of the tub. Then filled it with tepid water which was apparently all the motel could manage.

After offering her soap and a cloth, and the advise. "Here you go, just remember not to get the wound wet." He left her alone in the bathroom. Braeden stared at the cloth and the closed bathroom door, dumbfounded.

She had definitely missed something. At the time she had been bitten, and she wasn't absolutely sure how long ago that had been now, Derek had been an attentive lover. Very attentive, almost worshipful even. Now he was treating her as clinically as the kid Stiles had been.

When he had rejected her out of hand, Braeden had actually felt a cold chill go through her. She knew even with her scars that she was an attractive woman. From what she had heard about him Stiles had been an inept and useless human member of the Beacon Hills Pack. He had not had any medical or magical training. He wasn't anything special at all, her offering herself to him was more out of gratitude

The fact that the kid had summarily shut her down felt strange to her. She could understand if she thought she wasn't the kids type and that was possible. From what Derek had told her, the teen had been pining for the redhead Banshee since they were in elementary school and more recently had become involved with Derek's cousin Malia.

So there was obviously nothing wrong with the teen's taste, both were beautiful women, to be certain. Braeden was still trying to figure it out when she had finished bathing and stepped out of the bathroom when. To find Derek on the floor looking under the bed, obviously trying to grab something. "Dropped the gun," he said drawing it out to show her.

Braeden merely rolled her eyes and dropped the towel she had worn instead of the sheet. She rummaged in her back pack for any remaining clothes only to find a tank top, some undies and a pair of socks. She grabbed a tube of lotion and decided to work out her sexual frustrations on Derek instead.

She made a big production of applying the lotion to her skin. It was a little challenging. While whatever Stiles had done had stopped the venom in its tracks and eased the pain dramatically there was still the wound itself and the left over pain, of half her insides being liquefied.. She looked over after a moment and realized Derek wasn't even looking at her.

Braeden could admit she probably had a WTF expression on her face. "Ok what the hell is going on?" She said sharply as she stood up, legs apart and arms akimbo. She masterfully pretended she didn't feel more like falling over on the bed and falling asleep instead of having the ridiculous argument.

Derek looked up from where he was going through the drawers of the chest in the small motel room. His eyes widened and then narrowed as he said, "You need to get dressed before Stiles gets back."

"Why?" she replied a little more sharply than she had intended as she said, "I thought we could have a little alone time since I haven't seen you in a few days."

Those damned eyebrows, one went up knowingly as he asked, "You mean while you were unconscious because of the Hell Hound venom?"

"Well, yeah, but I'm awake now," she said and even she could hear the bit of a petulant whine that was in her voice when she spoke.

Ok and now both eyebrows were up and the smirk was in place as he said, "And you still have a Hell Hound bite in your side."

"Yeah but I feel fine and how is that possible and since when does Sillski do magic or healing or both?"

"For quite a while apparently," Derek said still barely acknowledging Braeden's nudity, "And it's Stilinski by the way."

"Whatever," the former Marshall said waspishly. Then a sly look crosses her face as she sashays over to Derek seductively.

Suspicious eyes meet the woman's dark ones and she forcefully rips the werewolves shirt down the middle Derek grabs her wrists and pushes back slightly, still very careful not to hurt the woman as he said, "Get dressed Braeden, we don't have time for this. Stiles will be back shortly with the clothes for you."

"Good maybe he'll learn something," she said tauntingly and Derek saw something nasty in that expression. He pushed her back farther and with slightly less care.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Derek asked and there was an edge to his voice that Braeden had never heard before. She wisely didn't answer and Derek asked, "Braeden?"

Before she could answer, the door clicked open behind her and Stiles said, "She tried to seduce me too. It didn't take, she thinks its inexperience that was holding me back. Here. I was able to rescue your boots, everything else had to be burned including your leather jacket. Not sure I'm as sorry about that now." He spoke while shoving a bag of clothes and the boots at Braeden's chest.

He literally shoved and Braeden was pushed back a few feet stumbling slightly and feeling the pull on her stitches. He then shoved a red article of clothing at the werewolf. He turned to face Braeden and for just a second she could have sworn she saw a flash of red in his eyes before she blinked and it was gone.

"Get dressed our time here just shortened. Its now a few minutes until nine, we have to be out of here by twelve. Sorry to say we have no more time for you to recuperate from your injuries," the teen said sharply. Derek, the former Alpha was looking at the teen like he was in charge and was moving with a purpose to comply.

Which made Braeden all the more comfortable with not complying, "Why? I kind of like it here." She said laying the clothes on the bed while trying to lie back across it seductively. She had never been this sexual before but she was enjoying it and trying to see what reaction she would get out of the two men.

Stiles merely looked at her coldly and said, "Fine, you can stay. I won't let your vagaries endanger myself or my mate." He turned and faced Derek totally ignoring the woman on the bed. "We have three hours to get out of town."

"What are you talking about Stiles?" Derek asked concerned.

Stiles tells him, "Whatever summoned the Hell Hounds has drawn enough attention to have someone summon cleaners of the supernatural variety. We don't want to be here when they get here."

"What are you talking about?" Braeden asked. Stiles ignored her and continued to explain to Derek.

"Probably a Wicca or something along those lines recognized the signs. You said you dealt with two of them, and who knows how long they had been here. They had probably already made or were making more of their kind by that time. The white worker summoned the cleaners to take care of it

"What do you mean cleaners?" Braeden asked again. This time Stiles decided to answer her.

"You're a former Federal Marshall. You know exactly what the term means. it's the same in the supernatural world as it is in the Mafia or criminal world. Anyone tainted by the dark like the hellhounds or those they have bitten will be eliminated, eradicated from the face of this town." Stiles said and there was a cold, darkness in his eyes that shouldn't be in any teen's eyes.

"They'll be here by noon and they won't discern between someone infected and someone who has been healed of the bite," he glanced over at Derek as he added, "Nor will they discern between a werewolf or someone formerly possessed by a Nogitsune."

He turned away from Braeden and addressed the Alpha and said, "Derek these are the opposite of the Oni, they travel in the daytime, they eliminate the dark, anything their master or creator deems as dark. Meanwhile the demon that summoned the Hell Hounds will still probably get away."

"Demon okay now you're being ridiculous," Braeden interjected once again irritated at being ignored as unimportant, "The Desert Wolf summoned these things to guard her."

"No she didn't she wouldn't have the power. Those things were probably there to retrieve her for whatever summoned them. There main jobs are to obey their summoner and reproduce. They reproduce by biting, they primarily bite males to make more of their kind or…."

Then Stiles looked at Braeden for the first time really. The woman was still standing their nude and said vehemently, "Oh fuck."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"Look I don't know what your problem is but we can't just leave these people here to die," Braeden was saying as she began to pace back and forth in front of a teenager.

Said teenager looking at her as if he was trying to decide whether to kill her himself or leave her to the cleaners. Derek also noticed even if the still naked Braeden didn't that it was the teenager and not the Nogitsune version running the show right now. He also noticed that Stiles being in charge wasn't exactly going to be a good thing for the former Marshall.

"These people are going to be fine except for the ones that the Hell Hounds have already bitten and those I can't help," Stiles looked her up and down and then said, "Nor do I think I can help you any further than I already have."

"That's fine, not like I need your help," Braeden said rudely. As she watched the teen move to stand between she and the werewolf.

"Actually you kind of do need my help," Stiles said quietly deliberately pulling Derek behind him protectively.

"What is up with that?" Braeden said indicating the pair. "You know he's back to being a werewolf right? So you don't need to protect him, he can take care of himself, and why are you protecting him from me?"

"I'm protecting him from you, Braeden." Stiles said thoughtfully, "As I was saying, there are only two reasons that Hell Hounds bite humans. Either they are reproducing or they are collecting for their master."

"Collecting, collecting what?" Braeden said waspishly wishing the teen would get out of her way.

"Mates," Stiles said and that just shocked her right out of her head space. Wich was on sex, of course. Being mated to a Hell Hound was not in her comfort zone at all. Being with Derek while he was turning into a human was one thing, being with him after he had evolved into a more advanced form of werewolf not so much.

She had been considering breaking off the relationship between the two when this had happened. So why she was so interested in jumping the werewolves bones now was confusing to say the least. "I'm not going to mate with a Hell Hound!" she screeched and really short of Lydia no human should have been able to reach that level of sound.

"They're not looking for a Mate for themselves. I told you they procreate through the bite," Stiles reminded solidly. His eyes were heavy as he studied the older woman.

"They've marked you for their master, whoever that is. That's probably why they were here in the first place. Their master heard of the Desert Wolf thought she sounded like a suitable mate and sent them to collect her. Then you showed up and you also met the criteria for a mate for their master, so they bit you too."

"Why would they want me?" she asked and yep there it was, the shock and horror.

"My best guess, you're female, attractive, and very clearly a capable warrior." Stiles offered an then completely ruined it by adding, "Plus you have nice wide hips to push out as many babies as he wants to put in you." Braeden was in the bathroom dry-heaving into the toilet within seconds after that pronouncement but it seemed Stiles wasn't finished with his helpful information.

Derek was rubbing his beard with one hand, his equivalent of something between a face-palm ad covering up where he was trying not to laugh and failing. He did say, "Stiles," with a hint of warning and fond exasperation.

Braeden continued to try and empty the non-existent contents of her stomach. Stiles ignored the werewolf as he leaned against the wall beside the open bathroom door and added, "So far you've tried to have sex with both Derek and me within an hours time. Which means they probably had some weird kind of aphrodisiac in their venom. If you had survived it would have made you more receptive to the thing that's running the show, I'm surprised they haven't come to get you yet."

Braeden suddenly had her hand wrapped around Stiles throat and was hissing in his face, "You need to stop talking now."

"No you need to get dressed now so we can get you and us out of this town," Stiles said leaning into her hold and staring her in the eyes

"Will that make a difference?" Derek asked, as he stepped toward them. He wasn't really concerned about Stiles well-being well aware the younger man could take care of himself. Instincts being what they were though he was still compelled to prepare to attack Braeden if necessary, to protect his mate. That instinct was very strong, even stronger than the instinct for survival at times.

"I figure the cleaners won't be as interested in her as they will be with the things that made her." Stiles said matter-of-factly even as the older woman held him by the throat. "As long as we're not her to draw their attention that is." He added significantly looking at her hand still around his throat.

"And the people who have been bitten like me?" Braeden asked significantly.

"I'm sorry aren't you the materialistic, money grubbing bounty hunter who is only interested in the next payday?" This time Derek did face palm and muttered something under his breath, only it sounded more like a concerned wine.

"Answer the question," she said still unconcerned with her state of undress.

Stiles shook his head and said with open hostility. "The ones who have already changed into Hell Hounds even the Summoner can't change back not that they would of course. Once the Summoner is killed the geas on the original Hell Hounds should be released and they'll return to hell. Unfortunately those who have already been bitten will probably still die and go to hell."

"Then we have to save them," Braeden said succinctly.

"Yeah right," Stiles said finally tired of Braeden holding him in place, suddenly both arms came up between hers and slammed in between her own arms, breaking her hold on his throat and then he shoves her away from him, throwing her back onto the bed.

"First off, we don't know them, who they are, how many there are, where they are, how far along in the infection process they are. Secondly I did not being enough stuff to do more than five people. You included in that number, so if you have some idea of the number and there's more than four, do tell me Braeden who do we choose to heal and who do we let go to hell?" he asked harshly.

"Then of course, there's the fact that we have less then three hours left before the cleaners get here. Because they are going to take one look at you and not care that you've been healed. Just because such a thing would have never occurred to them, to be a possibility." Stiles reminded her and then went on,

"And then they'll kill Derek and me because they're cleaners. They don't care what branch of the supernatural tree you came from. Pretty much hunters without a code and with a few supernatural tricks of their own. Only they've been doing it so long they're not exactly human themselves anymore."

"What's your point?" Braeden asked stubbornly.

Stiles spoke through gritted teeth, "The point Braeden, is that they're damned if we do and damned if we don't. If we save them from the Hell Hounds bite, the cleaners will still get them. If we don't save them from the Hell Hounds, the cleaners will get them or they'll go to hell."

"So do both," Braeden said simply.

"Do me a favor put her back in her coma," Stiles said looking over at Derek and ignoring the woman who was giving him a headache at the moment.

"Stiles," Derek said and Stiles gave him an incredulous look. He recognized the tone.

"Derek this is not Beacon Hills. These people aren't our responsibility. Apparently the one whose responsibility they are has called in the cleaners. So even they have given up on these people and gotten the hell out of Dodge. Like we should be doing."

When he saw the unchanging expression on his lovers face, "I don't have the supplies, the energy or the time to change things. Hell we don't even know how many…" finally he gave it up and said, "Aw hell," and whirled on his heel and walked toward the door. Braeden on his heels, he turned and held a hand up, stopping the woman in her tracks.

"Where do you think you're going?" he said and there was a flash in his eyes that actually had the former federal agent stepping back from him.

"I'm coming with you." Braeden said as if it should be the most natural thing in the world.

"I didn't invite you with me for a very obvious reason. Maybe you should think about why that would be. Think really hard about it, Braeden." he said before he added, "Stay away from my mate." Before he slammed out of the door to the motel room.

"What's his problem?" Braeden asked. "And what did he mean by mate? And what did he mean I couldn't come with him, I'm a grown woman I can…"

"And this is still a small town that would probably find a naked woman chasing a teenager down the street a little offensive Braeden. Also in this case at least mate means lover, husband, boyfriend, significant other, any or all of the above. In other words you might really want to think about getting dressed before he gets back and turns you into a toad." Derek said and even she heard the aggravated amusement.

 **XXXXXXXXX**

By the time Stiles had returned they had a little over two hours remaining before noon and Derek was greatly concerned. When the younger man came back in the pale face and dark circles under the eyes were a dead giveaway that the Nogitsune was back in charge and the expression in his eyes were one of murderous rage so intense that even Braeden stayed out of his way.

He carried two bags with him, as well as a cup tray, one had food from the local diner. He dished that out and proceeded to spread a map on the floor that was emblazoned with the name of the hotel in its advertising. He then took a smaller bag out of the larger on not holding food. He took several packets of salt out of the food bag, dumped it into the smaller bag and shook up the contents, before pouring it out onto the map.

It was sand probably picked up from the surrounding desert on his way back to the hotel. He muttered a few words and the sand spread itself across the map and then began to take on a more topographical looking map of the surrounding terrain.

This entire time he hadn't said one word to either of the others in the room and it was beginning to freak the pair out. After all a quiet Stiles is a dangerous thing. The amber eyed teen pulled a shaker of red pepper flakes out of the food bag and finally said, indicating the jar of brightly colored flakes, "This will show us where the supernaturals are in this area. The local population is only a little over two hundred. Maybe we'll get lucky and there will be only four of them."

"Stiles that's…" Derek started to say.

"Shut up, Sour Wolf," Stiles said and there was something in his voice that had the werewolf shutting his mouth with an audible snap. He poured a large supply o the flakes into his cupped palm and then closed is eyes, his lips moving as he recited a spell and then blew across the pepper flakes sending them into the air.

The flakes floated back down onto the map, he repeated the process twice more and then a third before the flakes fell into an orderly pile beside the map instead of anywhere on it. Stiles looked down at the map and gave a hollow laugh. Before covering his face with his hands tiredly. There glowing like little red rubies on the pale orange sand were well over a hundred pepper flakes spread out over the relatively small area of the map.

 **XXXXXXXXX**

A little over a half an hour later, Stiles was nibbling listlessly at the really good hamburger he'd gotten from the diner. The food was cooling and while he wasn't doing it justice he knew he had to keep his energy up. On the positive side Braeden was finally dressed, on the negative side she was still giving him the headache from hell, and on the really negative side had apparently enlisted Derek to help her while he had been gone.

On the even more negative side they were convinced that it was up to him to come up with the plan, and execute the plan. They were apparently also convinced that if they nagged, whined, cajoled and just generally annoyed the crap out of him that Stiles would come up with the plan out of the blue with no supplies, planning, or forethought. Right now they were tag-teaming him and while he loved Derek and had tolerated Braeden at one time. He was really starting to dislike both of them.

For the first time since the night he had found the video of the Nogitsune on his computer, he could actually feel the fox creature creeping under his skin and not in a good way. He felt a pressure around his brain literally and then he opened his mouth and he knew the Nogitsune was in charge.

"Did it ever occur to either of you that the reason we want you out of town is that what's coming may be even worse than all the dogs this thing has created?" Braeden opened her mouth to argue and Stiles voice said, "Shut up Braeden and listen because it has obviously escaped your attitude that I am the smartest person in the room or you wouldn't be trying so hard to get me to come up with a plan."

While her mouth hung open and then flapped for several seconds as she tried to come up with something to say, the Nogitsune turned to look Derek in the eye and said, "You shouldn't have chosen her over me."

For a moment Derek looked hurt and then he looked closer and his eyes widened, "You don't really think…"

"Who are you arguing against? Now shut up so we can think." He said as he knelt by the map again and studied it for several minutes before speaking out loud at first the pair thought he was talking to them, "Show us a close up and more detailed map of the area with the heaviest infestations."

The sand on the map moved with the pepper flakes moving on the surface of the sand. A more detailed section of the map showed, what looked surprisingly like farm land, in the usual grid-like patterns that backed up to the mountains. There was a really high number of the pepper flakes in an area nearer to the mountains, and then spread more evenly through the grid pattern that looked like little groups of houses. He imagined these were family owned farms and areas where migrant workers were set up.

He indicated the area with the densely packed pepper flakes were in front of the mountains and said, "Show us a close up of this area." The duo were amazed when and even more close up look was arranged from the sand. The pepper flakes that had settled at the edge of the map unused moved onto the display and joined the others to resolve into actual moving humanoid shapes and a few not so human shapes as well.

The amazing display resolved itself into a mining sight, complete with several out buildings. The mine entrance in the side of the mountain basically looked like an ant hill with the workers coming and going into the side of the mountain. There was a lot of activity going on and as they watched a school bus pulled up, "Shit, please no!" Braeden said in a horrified tone. Sure enough two red pepper flaked adults got off the bus followed by several smaller sand humans.

"Pan out to show the airstrip," the teen's voice said and he didn't fault the older woman for her whine of distress. The moving sand adjusted itself to show the valley at a distance. Once again, showing the farmland with the mountains and then an airstrip to the west. There wasn't enough detail to show the people moving other than that there were no pepper flakes at the airstrip right now.

Derek watched as the creature wearing Stiles face rummaged through the bag at his side without looking and then grew frustrated when he couldn't find what he was looking for. He actually growled before rummaging more intensely in the bag and then tossed it aside to look in the other bag. The werewolf had been thinking about what the teen had said. He had been right in both things he had said.

Stiles wasn't so much unconcerned about what was happening to the residents of this town as he was concerned about what might happen to them if they stayed. He also realized that he should have stood with Stiles even if he thought he was wrong, which he now recognized as Stiles trying to protect them.

He came up with a handful of left over salt and pepper packets and said, "Pan out to show normal map dimensions. Then show the mining site, the airstrip and the motel." Three of the packs moved into place.

"Is there a wiccan, occult, herb or whole foods shop in the town?" Braeden and Derek both perked up as they recognized that the younger man might have come up with a plan, one of the packets moved to cover a corner in town.

"Can you find an uninfected pilot in town?" Came the next question. Stiles cursed when nothing happened.

Braeden nearly bounced on the bed when she cried out, "Me! I'm a pilot, and I can fly planes or helicopters."

"You're also still at least partially infected or it would have marked you," Braeden instead of answering knelt on the floor on the other side of the map and lifted the pepper packet that was meant to represent the motel and showed where a sand covered pepper flake sat.

"See mostly sand, I'm healing." Braeden said.

Stiles shook his head in exasperation. "Fine you drive. Derek will stay here and pack up because when we get back we are getting the hell out of town before the cleaners get here and figure out what has happened."

"No," Derek said, "I drive Braeden packs. She still has a wound in her side. Light duty, or as light as piloting a plane can be I suppose. So what is the plan?"

"I think I'll make you both a list and you can go to the store together." Stiles offered in an irritated tone as he grabbed a piece of motel stationary and pen and began writing.

 **XXXXXXXXX**

"So I take it. You and Stiles are together now?" Braeden asked as they headed to the store to get Stiles short list of supplies.

"We are mates." he said baldly as he turned on the street that had the shop they were looking for. Braeden flinched slightly. She was not unaware of relationships for werewolves and the significance of mates. She was also very well aware of what could happen to someone who tried to come between a mated pair. It was usually extremely painful if not permanent in nature.

She shuddered slightly as it occurred to her that she wasn't sure which she should be more concerned about Derek or Stiles. Before this trip she would have naturally said Derek, now it was a toss up between the two.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N~ Not sure why, but this didn't work when this was posted the first time. I am reposting with the addition of the Hamlet quotation. So here goes. Please remember to leave a review. ~A**

 **Chapter 13**

 _The laws delay,_

 _the insolence of office_

 _And the spurns that patient merit_

 _of the unworthy takes._

 _When he himself might his quietus make_

 _With a bare bodkin._

 _Who would fardels bear_

 _To grunt and sweat under a weary life._

Stiles had everything packed within a few minutes of the older couple leaving. Apparently they all shared the similar trait of traveling light. On the positive note the motel owner wouldn't have to burn anymore mattresses or contaminated materials. On the negative side he and Derek were in a dismal state of affairs.

He had come up with the best plan he could work out with only three hours notice. Why the wicca or whoever had made THAT call, had been so willing to give up on their own town and just call in the cleaners. Stiles didn't know. Whoever it was they deserved to be fired from their position as Guardian.

Of course right now he and Derek were away from their own duties helping getting things back on path for the little valley so that didn't say much for their status in Beacon Hills. Of course even before that Derek had kind of abandoned his duties to tramp about with Braeden.

For some reason the phrase, "Pride goeth before a fall," kept going through his head like his own little mantra.. Stiles knew it was the Nogitsune trying to tell him something. He also knew the fox spirit had a way of making it a game or a puzzle Perhaps in this case the Nogitsune was trying to tell him through parables.

Ok so the Greeks were most fond of using the Pride parable but there were stories from nearly every society about it. The Greeks of course he could think of three right off hand, Narcissus, Icarus and of course Andromeda's mother. Not to mention Hercules although his family seemed to get the worst of that particular parable.

 **~X~**

Then he remembered another parable, this one from the Vikings. Baldir was the most beautiful of the Viking gods. Out of their love for him, the other gods demanded of every tree, animals, and shrub not to do harm to the beloved god. When they had taken the oaths though it was summer and they had not thought of the lowly mistletoe, hidden by the green of the trees it resided in.

After they made the plants and animals take the oath they would play games. They would go to bars and taverns and try to use weapons of all types against the beautiful god. As he grew older his arrogance about his beauty and impervious skin was almost as legendary as Thor's strength.

He used his beauty to make conquests of ladies all over, including one who was being courted by Loki, the God of Mischief. Loki didn't care so much about humans but the idea of the other god taking something from him was another matter entirely.

Loki also knew of the winter mistletoe and gathered it to as an aphrodisiac when he was feeling amorous. He of course knew that a stronger dose of the plant would poison the recipient. He had always been jealous of Baldir's beauty and so decided to cause a little mischief. He created darts with the branches and dipped them in the poisonous potion.

He chose one and appeared in a tavern where the gods often went amongst the humans to frolic. He made himself appear as an innocent little girl and waited for the gods to appear. The gods did appear and began drinking and feasting and then the games began.

When the humans began giving the gods some of their weapons to use against Baldir. The little girl gave her toy dart to Thor to use against his cousin Baldir and within moments the life of the most beautiful and prideful Baldir was ended, and Loki had disappeared.

 **~x~**

The mischief had all been a trap for the arrogance and pride of the gods. Lure them in with the cute of the little girl, and lull them into a false sense of security with the insignificance of the mistletoe dart. It was brilliant in its simplicity.

Then something occurred to him and he was desperately searching for his phone. What if this whole thing was a trap. Lured in by the plight of the town, what if this were a trap for them. Another easy fix for them, not as if they hadn't taken care of such a thing before, unless it wasn't. To have this many hellhounds under control it couldn't be just one demon or if it was it would have to be one of the major ones running the show.

Then too, it could be just the thing to take out the cleaners. Derek, Braeden and he were just an unexpected but tasty appetizer and the cleaners were the main course. That seemed more likely but no less terrifying a prospect. When the phone went straight to voicemail his concern for his mate ratcheted to full blown panic.

He threw the bag that held his clothes in the back of the Jeep beside Derek and Braeden's bag. Then the bag with all of his tools and herbs that he had brought with them. He really, really wanted to get out of this town, but not without his mate or Braeden, especially not after working so hard to heal her.

He tore out of the motel parking lot with a gout of gravel in his wake. He touched the Nogitsune's soft fur in his brain and the shadow that was the darkness of the fox spirit crawled over his skin like an odd suit of armor. He had a feeling he was going to need it.

 **XXXXXXXXX**

A bell jingled merrily over the door as they walked into the Yellow Candle. The morning sunlight came through the front window of the shop, illuminating glass, crystal and dark wood everywhere. Tere were the usual trinkets scattered about. Tarot cards, jeweled wands, velvet bags with rune stones. Tiny jars of essential oils for aromatherapy, twig broomsticks for children, and crowns of stars and scarves.

In the back though was a shelving unit of candles, crystals, and stones, and another of books on the opposite wall. The back wall was shelved from top to bottom and was full of labelled apothecary jars with every conceivable herbal ingredient you should need for making tea or powerful spells or even a spice rub for meat.

Standing behind the counter was a man mixing herbs together in a large metal bowl he looked up and smiled at the pair as they walked in. "Good morning, please feel free to look around. Let me finish this up and I'll be right with you," he said indicating the bowl. He was wearing a white button down shirt and and blue jeans with a brown leather vest over top.

Braeden was trying to prove she was over the influence of the Hell Hounds bite but this guy made it difficult. He slid gloves on before mixing the contents of the metal bowl with ovious concentration. Sliding gloves on should not have been sensual in the least so Braeden figured she wasn't as over the bite as she thought she was.

He was blond, clean shaven and had light colored eyes. He glanced up and gave Braeden a charming smile before going back to what he was doing. Derek went to the back wall and began pulling jars from the shelves and carrying them to the counter. Occassionally looking at the list that Stiles had given him, he even put one jar back and collected another to replace it.

The shop keep looked up whe he was done mixing and when he realized he may have a serious customer he removed his gloves. Removing the bowl from a stand that held it in place he set it aside and placed a piece of cloth over the top before turning back to his customers.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting. Now did you need this blended or is it just a direct purchase?" he asked with a helpful smile.

"Package them individually," Derek said absently as he studied the stones in one of the jars on the shelves.

Braeden smiled charmingly at the shop keep and said apologetically, "Sorry, I'd like to say he's usually more charming than this but I'd be lying."

"No problem," the blond man said. "If you have the specific amounts I could begin packaging them up for you."

Derek looked over from where he was glancing over the shelves. "Can you provide the ingredients in pounds?"

The man looked startled, then looked at the labels of the jars and then did something at the discreetly located computer behind the counter. "Yes I seem to have at least five pounds of all of the ingredients that you have selected. Is there anything else you need for this?" He said coming back to the counter.

"We need two pounds of these three and a half pound of this one. A pound of all of the rest." Derek said as he pointed to the jars to indicate which was which.

The man nodded thoughtfully as he looked over the ingredients. He glanced up at the couple, Derek was back at studying the materials on the shelves, Braeden however looked back at him and asked, "Do you own the shop?"

"Oh yes, it was my grandmothers. She was what we like to call a green woman. A true natural witch, she actually started the town." He said as he added, "I'm Marcus, by the way. She came to what was an abandoned copper mine. Luckily the poisons that the miners used to extract the copper had leached away. The bats left another treasure in place of the copper, guano."

"She used it to grow her herbs and created a farm as well. Before long she was joined by several other like minded people using the guano as fertilizer to create an oasis of sorts in the middle of the desert." He had filled two of the bags as he spoke, putting a label on each. "Her shop here started out being a farmers market and then a general store."

As he worked Braeden noticed he was wearing an odd looking bracelet. From the look of it the bracelet was old and jeweled and antique. He saw her looking at the bracelet and extended his wrist with a more seductive look as he said, "Have as yet to find a woman who didn't appreciate things that sparkle. This was my grandmothers too. They call it a flask bracelet. Apparently they were very popular during the Prohibition era. Guess Granny was a bit of a rebel in her day."

He showed Braeden the unusual piece of jewelry before getting back to packaging the ingredients. "Sorry I need to go get some more bags," he said after a bit, before stepping back behind a curtain to the back storage area. Braeden looked at the display case that held some antique and themed jewelry as they waited

Braeden thought she heard some hissing from the storage area but decided in the back of her mind that what she had heard was a cat. Obviously in an older building like this with herbs and other dry ingredients and farmland nearby. Mice were bound to be a problem. So short of keeping a bat around, cats were a safe and cleaner option for the potential rodent problem.

She heard the screech of tires outside. Something had caught her eye in the display case and she called to Derek, "Hey come check this out,"

Derek turned toward her just in time to see a winged figure step out from behind the curtain. The body was nude, the wings were bat-like and the face was beautiful. The needle-like teeth and two inch claws not so much. The fact that she was at least six inches taller than Braeden also registered.

Right along with the male that came from the back right behind her, this one was another few inches taller and had more muscles packed on than Derek had ever had. The smile he gave Derek was amused and predatory as Braeden finally looked up and screeched as she leapt away from the counter.

There was a cacophony of crashing, jangling noise from the front door of the shop, as Stiles crashed through the door. The door bell jangled discordantly at the sudden harsh treatment before flying off of the hook over the door to land at Braeden's feet.

The teen had a baseball bat in one hand of course and his messenger bag slung over the other. He took one look behind the counter and pulled a baseball sized bag of powder out of his messenger bag and threw it at the pair behind the counter.

The powder within exploded all over the pair, the female who had been standing closer to the door got the worst of it, but her hair shielded her face whereas the male got more of it in the face. Derek and Braeden didn't know what the Spark had thrown but whatever the powder was, it was driving the winged humanoids crazy.

The pair were scratching, sneezing, and screeching at the top of their lungs. The Nogitsune smirked slightly and then yelled at the werewolf and bounty hunter, "What are you waiting for? Get to the Jeep!"

Braeden started for the door and then ran back and grabbed the bags that had already been prepared, Derek grabbed the two remaining jars before they ran past Stiles. The winged pair realizing their prey were escaping made to run after them. The female came over the counter and made a literal flying tackle at Stiles who swung the bat more like a golf club and heard a satisfying crunch as it connected with her jaw and then glancing down realized he had broken the females neck.

The male bellowed as he came around the counter and blearily saw Stiles take out his female partner. What he didn't see was the bell from the door until he stepped on it and slid a couple of feet before his feet went out from under him.

Wings may have softened the sudden fall so that the creature was only stunned.

Stiles gaped for a couple of seconds before lunging forward and smashing the end dow over his face. Hoping to at least knock the thing out, apparently though the head was one of its harder features. So Stiles hit the male several times. Blood was pouring from several places where the skin had been lacerated and split open and Stiles was still hitting it.

Stiles knew he should stop and run away but somehow he knew this thing wasn't going to stop hunting them just because of a little delay caused by death. He was determined to make this healing a long and painful process for the erinyes.

Erinyes, he knew what that was. Stiles didn't question how he knew what that was. He stood up and looked around the shop and saw the toy twig brooms. He swiftly broke one in half over his knee and smelled the wood. It wasn't fresh but the smell of white ash was unmistakable. He shoved the makeshift stake into the things mouth and then proceeded to use the bat to slam the stake home.

He was repeating the process with the female when Derek came running back in. The werewolf watched as his now blood covered mate worked desperately to smash the bat into the twig covered end of the broom. He heard something snap and a puff of smoke that was acid green came out of the body and it began melting. The males body was already melting, the wings were already mostly gone.

Stiles dropped the bat and then began searching the two bodies. He found a coin on a chain around her neck and shouted, "Yes!" before yanking it off her neck, then he went to the male and began searching him as well.

"Stiles, come on, let's go!" Derek cried desperately, disturbed beyond measure that his human was covered in the scent of these two things but was also covered in hopefully only their blood.

"In a minute," he said before giving a little wordless cheer as he found a matching coin in the pocket of the male. Then he was running out the door past the werewolf into the sunlight. He drew a deep breath and eyes closed looked up at the sun for a second before a green smoke started coming off of him, just like inside. He shoved his bat and backpack into the back of the Jeep and said, "Tell me what happened?"

Braeden seating in the drivers seat of her SUV said, "Don't you think we should get out of here before those things come back?" Braeden gaped a little at the young teen and then looked at Derek trying to figure out why the older werewolf wasn't trying to at least get them away from the shop.

"He's gone, I saw him leaving as I was pulling up. My best guess he's the one behind it all. The others will be working on other tasks. I have a feeling though that blondie was the one that summoned our bogeyman. The erinyes," he said with a wave at his hand at the shop to indicate the two dead, melting creatures they had left in there, "They were here to be his bodyguards and take care of problems. He saw the ingredients, probably figured out what we were up to and he set the erinyes on you."

"The thing I can't figure out is how whatever demon he called hasn't taken him yet." seeing their confused expressions he continued his explanation, "Usually part of the deal with being the Summoner of such things is and pardon the crudity here, but you become the first bitch of whatever you summoned this guy looks completely unharmed or unchanged."

"On top of that if as I suspect he is the ones who called for the Cleaners he is summoning them into a trap and they are not someone you want to fool around with."

 **A/N/N~ Ok does anybody have any idea what a bodkin or fardel is? ~A**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N~ Thank you for everyone who is favoriting and following the story and I hope you also will write a few reviews. As always the story is edited by me but has not actually been betaed. So of course all errors are made by me and owned by me. This is AU so I'm blaming that for the OOC moments. That and Stiles natural protectiveness. Enjoy everybody. ~A**

 **Chapter 14**

Derek and Braeden were staring at the grinning fiend that was Stiles as he drove along the dirt road to the small airport on the edge of town. Derek was actually only about eighty percent sure that the boy sitting next to him was actually Stiles and not the Nogitsune.

The grin was a little too manic and not quite evil enough to be the Nogitsune. As he drove the teen was talking nonstop mostly about farming, weather patterns, irrigation, fertilizer and other things that had Derek and Braeden trying to figure out what the boy was trying to tell them.

After their third time of staring at each other questioningly, Stiles finally explained. "The woman who settled this place originally was a green woman. Not just a Wicca or witch, an actual green woman. There like Sparks only with an incredible affinity with the earth." Stiles said as he slowed slightly to get over a particularly rutty section of the road.

"She actually lived in the cave that these things are using as a headquarters. My best guess she created a circle down there in the cave and left it there. For anything or anyone to use, empowered with her magic, a relative would have to be the caster." Stiles said. The wild grin still firmly in place as he drove down the road.

"That guy in the store," Braeden said in a betrayed tone, "but how do you know all of this when it just happened?"

Stiles grin got a little warmer but no less wild. "I was listening in, through my mate bond with Derek. It's really cool. Like being in two places at once, which is a little dangerous when you're driving let me tell you, But also really cool with werewolf senses."

"So why do we need to hijack a plane?" Braeden asked as she nearly hit her head on the roof as they drove down the rutted dirt road. "And how did you know about the old woman?"

"The old woman is still here, she has been trying to influence her grandson not to do this but the guy thinks with his human brain too much. Greed, power, sex, and vanity, usually ghosts are more easily seen and heard by the family but he's too far under the things power." Stiles said. His teeth more bared than smiling now.

"You know what it is, don't you?" Derek said.

"The kind of thing you don't actually say it's name out loud, lest you draw its attention. Especially not when you're this close." Stiles said as they pulled into the road leading to the airport.

As they drove down the two lane driveway, they all noticed that the airport appeared abandoned and the gate to the airport was locked. Stiles accelerated and blew through the gate, there were a half dozen planes on the runway. One was closer to one of the buildings and looked as though someone had been working on it and had suddenly stopped. As in tools still on the tarmac and tool chest still open.

Two other planes had covers over them which left three others, two of which looked like crop dusters. Stiles slowed to a crawl as he looked over at Braeden and said, "You're the pilot lady, any preferences?"

Braeden pointed to the largest of the planes and Stiles drove towards it. It looked as if it had been jury rigged for double duty as a personal plane that could be easily converted for crop dusting. She and Derek got out and headed toward the plane. "We're in luck this is just like the plane I was first trained on," Braeden said and there was excitement in her voice as she stroked her hands along the wings.

"You know how to get it ready for crop dusting?" Stiles asked as he pulled the containers out that held the ingredients for whatever he was up to.

"We're looking at something pretty damn close to the Apocalypse, and you're worried about crops?" Braeden nearly screeched.

"Yeah, the crop of human Hell Hounds he's creating. This will change them back and hopefully without that power base he'll be so weakened the Cleaners will be able to take him out, or at least send him back to hell where he belongs." Stiles said and just like that his good humor was gone again.

"I need the canister over here Derek." he said and the werewolf actually felt his wolf flinch in his chest. "There was something in that voice almost like a goodbye. Derek glanced over at the bounty hunter, and saw her looking back at him as she also recognized some switch had just been switched.

The werewolf lifted the heavy and rather unwieldy canister and brought it over to his mate. "So explain this too me again?" Derek asked the younger man gently.

Stiles looked over at where Braeden was apparently doing a pre-flight check. "This is like the anti-possession spell I did on dad, only way more potent and way more of it. It will de-Hell Hound everybody in the town. If we get it up and out within the next seventeen minutes. They'll all be back to normal before the Cleaners get here. So the douche bag grandson's trap won't work. Positive side,"

He said as he added the ingredients to the canister, "I think that will make our very own Voldemort not trust the skeeze anymore, who knows he may even kill the brat. Negative side, he'll probably see us coming miles away." He grabbed his bat and began using his bat like a paddle on the ingredients to mix them in the canister.

"Not to worry though the grandmother and I will be creating a distraction, while you two are doing the hard part." Stiles said before raising his voice so that Braeden could actually hear him, "Braeden I don't know a lot about crop dusting but this stuff is kind of potent, you'll have to fly high enough to spread it out all over the valley. You fly too low and the stuff will run out before you get the valley covered in it."

Braeden nodded but Derek was not on board with the plan especially the part about leaving Stiles behind. "What do you mean you and the grandmother are creating a distraction. The grandma is dead Stiles and from what that guy said she has been for a while."

Stiles merely patted Derek's shoulder affectionately as he said, "Doesn't mean she's not still here Sour Wolf. Braeden," Stiles caught the bounty hunters attention before asking, "Did you notice some kind of bracelet on the douche bag?"

Braeden nodded her head and then realizing that the Spark couldn't see her from where the two of them were answered, "Yeah he had a very antiquey bracelet, said it was his grandmothers. He called it a flask bracelet."

"From Prohibition era, I remember," Derek said as he remembered too.

Stiles froze and said, "Aw shit grandma, you couldn't have mentioned that before?"

Derek looked at the boy who was the love of his life as suddenly his rich scent was tainted with the odor of fear, anger and sorrow.

Derek reached out and grabbed the younger mans arm and began pulling the pain and distress from the man he loved and waited a moment before asking, "Stiles what's going on?"

"Grandma's spirit has been guiding me since I walked into her shop. She failed to mention till just this moment what the real problem is." Stiles said as he pulled the bat out of the canister, allowing Derek to close it back up and help Braeden load it onto the plane quickly before the pair walked back over to the dejected human Spark.

"So tell us," Braeden said worriedly.

"The bracelet is an artifact. Its called Baalphegor's flask, supposedly it contains her tears and blood." Stiles said thoughtfully.

"Ok gross," Braeden said with her face screwed up in distaste, "Glad I didn't ask for a nip or something. But what is the big deal?"

"The big deal is who Baalphegor was. She was the consort of Mephistopheles and the right hand of Asmodeus. So basically you have a direct line to the two of them as long as you had the bracelet. You could call the armies of either Asmodeus or Mephistopheles, and the erinyes who are her bodyguards." Seeing their blank looks he explained, "The things you ran into in the shop."

"So if that's so and the grandmother was a Green Woman like you said," Derek said putting the pieces together, "Why did the woman have the bracelet in the first place, how did she get it?

"She was a guardian, a protector of old evil. It ran in her family. I guess it skipped a generation and went to her grandson, who in the end chose the absolutely worst path to go down." Stiles said and the tone he used was entirely too weary for someone his age to use.

"So we have to get the bracelet back and put it someplace safe or else he'll be protected and they'll stay and wreak havoc on everything and everyone." Derek said with a huff of aggravation.

"Yeah something like that," Stiles said.

"Any idea how we're supposed to do that against a hundred Hell Hounds and at least half a dozen Erinyes?" Braeden said unhelpfully.

"A dozen actually and yeah I'm working on it. First you will be armed while in air as you'll hopefully only have to worry about the Erinyes and Grandmothers baby boy or more specifically the magic he may have inherited. Of course that's only if I can't keep him focused on me."

"Great and how exactly do you suggest I kill the flying Monkeys?" Braeden said testily, "Not exactly like I can swing a bat and fly a plane at the same time."

"Can you fly a plane and shoot a gun at the same time?" Stiles asked cheerfully.

When the older woman agreed reluctantly that she probably could. The teen said, "Great. Then I have an idea. Gonna need your ammo."

Braeden looked over at Derek who merely shrugged as they followed the younger man to the back of his Jeep. Stiles opened the back of the Jeep and pulled a tackle box closer to himself. He pulled a plexiglass tray out of the bottom and a vial of mercury out of the tackle box. He emptied the vial into the tray and moved it around until the silvery liquid metal was all along the bottom of the tray.

He took Braeden's clips and expertly expended the ammo and dropped it into the tray. Rolling the bullets around in the tray he coated the bullets before handing her a pair of gloves and giving her the tray to reload the clips. He then repeated the process on another set of ammo.

"Mercury is just as poisonous to the erinyes as it is to us. Coat it in Mercury it will kill them." Stiles said. "Just so you know, don't even try to use these guns again. The mercury has a tendency to fuse with the gun metal when it gets hot. It will poison you."

"Great kinda wished you'd told me that before." the two men stared at her incredulously and she said defensively, "What? I liked these guns."

"Yeah, and I liked my life but you whined and complained until I agreed to help these people. Now you're complaining about your stupid guns?" Stiles reminded and there was no mistaking the anger in his voice.

Stiles opened another little drawer in the tackle box and pulled out a huge piece of chalk, and then several other items. A Crown Royale bag, a leather pouch, several vials of ingredients. Including a large one that looked to be filled with mountain ash. Then he grabbed his baseball bat and walked over to a part of the tarmac out of the way of the planes and taxiway and the airport drive.

He began drawing on the ground as he spoke to both of them. Braeden start from the outside and work your way toward the mine. Save a good portion of the dust for the mine cause that seems to be where they are concentrating their manpower. Derek I'm going to basically be the Nemeton in this situation. They probably won't send anyone to get me per say. They may send a scouting party maybe but its more likely they're just gonna stay where they are and lob magic missiles at me until I get tired and go home," he snorted.

"As if that's going to happen. Anyway the Hell Hounds are going down under our fairy dust cloud. The erinyes are going to go try to drive her away. You are going to get the bracelet off of Marcus and bring it to me. I'm going to use it to drive them back into hell and grandma," he said indicating empty space over the Alpha's shoulder. "Is going to close that circle. So that they can't come through again. What no, I'm not going to do that, they… we are already risking our lives saving a town you clearly should have left in better hands and…"

As Stiles continued to argue with a ghost they couldn't see Braeden and Derek looked at one another before Derek finally interrupted with a telling look, "Stiles?!"

"Ok she wants us to try and keep her grandson alive as he is the only living relative she has left and she wants to ensure her legacy." Stiles said as calmly as he could.

Braeden wasn't doing the be polite to the thing I can't see said, "Oh you mean the legacy of trying to bring Hell to Earth? That Legacy?"

"Braeden," Stiles said in a warning tone. The bounty hunter wasn't worried about something she couldn't see started shouting vitriol at the air. She really should have known what was coming as she suddenly felt someone kick her in her backside hard enough to send her flying about five feet.

When she slowly climbed back to her feet she looked at the other two men. Derek with his raised questioning eyebrows and Stiles who she swore was trying to not laugh. "Gonna go fly the plane now," she said and it was clear to everyone she was trying to hide her embarrassment at having her ass kicked literally by the ghost of someone's grandma.

Stiles was studying Derek and clearly trying hard not to show how worried he was. He said, "Don't get dead, or I'll have to come kick your ass back out of heaven."

Derek saw the younger man pretending to concentrate on the circle he was creating. He stalked over and pulled the younger man into his arms before he took his chin between thumb and forefinger and said softly, "Same goes for you." he kissed the teen for a passionate couple of minutes. Derek touched their foreheads and smiled as he said, "Mine," with a hint of smiling growl and a flash of red glowing eyes. He climbed in the Jeep and drove away as Braeden taxied down the runway.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N~ So a little bit late it's on time and I re-uploaded Chapter 13 because somehow the Hamlet quote and the authors notes got left off when it was posted. Please remember to review. ~A**

 **Chapter 15**

 _But that the dread of something after death,_

 _The undiscovered country from whose bourne_

 _No traveler returns, puzzles the will._

 _And makes us rather bear those ills we have,_

 _Than fly to others we know not of?_

Derek felt it in his bones when Stiles became a beacon of magic. Literally, he felt it, it was like an earthquake in his body without the shaking in the ground. He could swear he felt his organs vibrate and it wasn't in anyway a good feeling.

Apparently the Hell Hounds weren't really fans of the sensation either. Almost as one they roared, that wasn't a great feeling either. The werewolf actually had to cover his sensitive ears for a few minutes. Then the lot were running in the direction of the airport.

Yeah that right there was a more gut-wrenching sensation because his every instinct was telling him to protect his mate. Now he was really starting to regret siding with Braeden about protecting the people of this town. He had a job to do though, a job his mate had given him. He was definitely not going to let Stiles down twice in the same day.

Normally he would have run at the thing brute strength, claw and fang. Stiles had specifically said, "Don't get dead." He had a feeling his usual method of attack wasn't going to achieve that goal in this instance. Plus he had the sneaking suspicion his mate really would bring him back from the dead and he really didn't in even a remote way want to follow in his uncle's footsteps.

He kept himself distracted from the danger that Stiles was putting himself in by making his way to the entrance of the mine. They figured that was the most likely place to find Marcus. Scott might have been a True Alpha but in this case Derek was pretty sure he would have been useless.

His desire to see the positive in every situation and individual would have made him want to try and talk it out with the young man trying to bring hell on earth in his little corner of the world. Stiles had said the Ghostly Granny wanted to try and keep her grandson alive. That was fine, so long as it didn't interfere with Derek's plans to keep those he cared about alive.

It did make him wonder why McCall who was usually so intent on keeping his worst enemy alive was so eager to kill off Stiles father when he was merely potentially becoming another werewolf. Why he only thought of that just now, Derek didn't know. It was something they would need to look into when they got back to Beacon Hills.

Those were the rambling thoughts of the Alpha as he made his way around and past the remaining Hell Hounds. As he reached the entrance to the mine and tried to figure out how to get past the erinyes. A pair came out that he could have sworn were the same pair from the Wicca shop came out of the entrance and looked around. They sniffed the air and Derek was glad he had thought to come from downwind. They were growing agitated though and then screeched, suddenly several more erinyes surrounded them at the entrance and they all launched themselves into the air.

Circling for a few minutes until they had ridden the air currents higher and then they all flew off in the same direction, "Braeden." Derek thought before he headed into the unguarded entrance and after a few hundred yards he froze.

After the main chamber there were no less than five tunnels shooting off from the main chamber and he nor Stiles had thought of how the wolf would find the circle. The thought of his mate made him remember how different Stiles smelled after he had performed magic.

Lightening and ozone, would be pretty hard to have that scent underground especially with all the bat guano around. He scented the air and found that the first two tunnels seemed to have the scent coming from them. He decided to go down the second tunnel because it had the strongest scent of magic coming from it.

He made his way down the tunnel, hiding when he went past a few Hell Hounds and erinyes as well as things that he couldn't identify, and didn't really want to. The circle that the Green Woman had created had been corrupted by her grandson.

Stiles had given him vials of salt, holy water, silver, and mercury. He knew he could handle himself against the Hell Hounds, he had done it before . The Mercury was for the erinyes, if it was needed. The rest was for the Circle, a few Latin phrases which he had written in a piece of paper tucked in a pocket. The Circle would be re-consecrated for the good and then he could break it without this becoming a suicide mission.

Keeping the Ghostly Grandma happy by not killing her grandson might require a little something else, Derek thought. As he came out of the tunnel above a bowl shaped cavern that had the Circle in the center of it. Marcus was standing in the Circle speaking to a glowing orange orb that was floating in midair in front of him.

 **XXXXXXXXX**

Braeden was calculating wind speed and the drift of the powder that Stiles had mixed in the canister she was carrying. She climbed to about 150 feet and began dropping it in the populated areas. There really was no one in the fields right now, which helped a great deal.

Plus according to Stiles the powder would also act as a deterrent to the Hell Hounds. The powder acted as a kind of inoculation for those who hadn't been bitten, to keep the Hounds from biting them or even attacking them thank goodness.

She did a couple of sample passes to see if her calculations for the powder's drift area was accurate and adjusted accordingly. Although it was a risk she drifted a little herself. Allowing her mind to wander to the subject of Derek and Stiles. The truth was that she hadn't really had a lot of interaction with Stiles before this misadventure from Hell itself.

Other than to think of him as the hapless human who happened to be involved in Pack dynamics because of his friendship with Scott McCall. At the time she had last seen him, he was recovering from being possessed by the Nogitsune. She remembered the look that had passed between Stiles and Derek before the werewolf had sent him to help his True Alpha friend. It made her wonder then if there was something more between the pair. Then Derek had died/evolved, and they had left.

Even then she had honestly not known why Derek had come with her. She smirked, the sex was amazing, Derek was an amazing lover, don't get her wrong. As well as a great partner when the chips were down. They both knew within the first two weeks that it would never be love between them, didn't mean she wasn't a bit jealous though.

She brought herself back to reality in time to make the next turn. Only to come face to winged face with several erinyes flying right at her in a surprisingly tight formation. Braeden was glad she had taken the time to make herself holsters for her guns.

It was going to be hard enough trying to hit a moving target while flying one handed. Trying to fin the guns to do the shooting while being attacked would have been damn near impossible. She pulled the gun from her improvised hip holster and looked up just in time to have one of the erinyes, a female with reddish hair latch on to the side of the plane and roar at her through the window. She lifted the gun and shot her through the window.

The blast of black blood and brains was disturbing but gratifying. The material that blew back behind them and not into the props was a lot more so. Braeden used everything she had learned in flight school to actively avoid the erinyes. Her flight school hadn't really dealt with combat flying or evasive maneuvers, but her flight instructors uncle had been a combat pilot in the Korean an Vietnam War and she drew from the stories, he had told, it helped a lot.

Unfortunately it also interfered with her abilities to spray as evenly as she would have hoped. When she couldn't avoid them she would shoot at them, grateful for years of training that made even random or haphazard shots, fly true. Luckily the winged demons hadn't been able to get to her yet to do any harm. The plane wasn't so lucky, thee weren't any holes yet and they avoided the canister like a plague. The plane had dents, dings and several claw marks here and there though.

She wasn't really keeping track of how many of the erinyes she had taken out but she figured she had taken out four or five. She had kept track of her ammo though, she had already emptied her clip on one of her guns and was trying to figure out how to reload mid-air, when another erinyes came for her door and managed to punch through the remaining glass in the window.

The gun got shoved in his mouth and two shots went into him before clicking on empty. She ejected the clip and prayed as she flew one-handed, she slid the clip in left-handed and slammed it home against her thigh. The second one was even easier and Braeden sighed in relief until she felt the plane shudder under the weight of two of the erinyes grabbing hold of the wings.

She slid the guns under her thighs quickly and rolled the plane. She hadn't done this since flight school. She figured Sam would be proud of her, the move was textbook. The result was gratifyingly effective, apparently these guys weren't used to going against planes, even if they were biplanes and not jets.

She got back on course with the erinyes beginning to tire, thank heavens. They were starting to fall behind after several minutes of flying, punching, ripping in a few places, Braeden was grateful for the reprieve and sighed a little after catching her breath. She went through the grid pattern they had set up and hoped she wouldn't have to go through the same thing when she came back this way. Mentally bracing herself though because knowing their luck, she probably would.

 **XXXXXXXXX**

Stiles giggled a little hysterically as an all too recognizable voice inside his head shouted, "Scotty, more power to the shields. Give it all you've got."

He resisted the urge to do just that though. He had three shields around the Circle. Even if every single human in this town had been turned to Hell Hounds the whole lot of them wouldn't have been able to get through the protections he had put in place for the Circle he had cast.

The teens job was basically to be the decoy. The beacon that distracted the things long enough for Braeden to dust the entire community with the de-possessing formula and for Derek to either break the circle or re-consecrate it for good. As well as stealing back the flask bracelet.

He hadn't really figured out what they were going to do with the bracelet once they had gotten it back. Just getting it away from Marcus was the challenge for right now. Ghostly Granny had gone surprisingly quiet since they come up with this plan. That also made Stiles a bit nervous, well that and her insistence that they keep the grandson alive.

Despite all of the damage he had already done to the community and the fact that he was willing to sacrifice the entire community just to ensure his catbird seat in the coming New World Order. The anger he felt at that did add a little sparkle and snap to the shields around him.

Then he felt the first magical assault, well he didn't really feel it. The assault hit his shields and slid off like water off a duck's back, as it was meant to do. It gave him a direction though, a conduit for his own attack to travel back along, "Fire all phasers." he whispered. Drawing power from the earth beneath him he sent a fairly simple energy blast back through the same channel of energy that Marcus had sent in his direction.

He felt it hit on the other side and then drew himself back behind the shields to wait for the retaliation to come. He didn't have to wait for long. The retaliation when it came bounced off the shields just like the previous one, but there were a few differences.

The previous attack didn't affect the Hell Hounds this one did. Several of the Hell Hounds fell back and howled as they began to dissolve like so much acid had been splashed on them. The tragic thing was, and Stiles was sure this was deliberately for his benefit, they began to change back to human during the melting process.

Stiles watched horrified as two men and a woman howled, screamed and convulsed before finally dying and then continued to dissolve even after they had finally succumbed to the spell that was cast. The spell had a oily, burnt flavor to it. Yes magic had taste, sound, scent and this flavor told the Nogitsune something, "Excellent, one of the demons is with him right now, helping him. Try this on for size big boy. Fire torpedoes."

Stiles had only a few seconds to think about how much of a fan boy the Nogitsune was before the spell was cast. This particular spell was in the combined mind of Stiles and the Nogitsune to have a two fold effect. First, it actually was to have a concussive effect to the occupants of the circle. If it could get past their shields. Second the Nogitsune knew the reason the demon had been eager enough to expose himself within the Circle in the cave.

 **XXXXXXXXX**

Derek could actually see the shields around the underground Circle vibrate, he imagined that either Marcus had started the assault and Stiles was retaliating or Stiles had actually begun the fight. He imagined it really depended on who was more in charge right now, Stiles or the Nogitsune.

A black tornado of cloud came out of the orange glowing orb and was absorbed by the shield itself. A sinister roaring laugh came out of the orb to accompany the spell along its way. Marcus wasn't laughing though if anything he looked surprisingly horrified, before he could mask his expression, morphing it into something more bland.

There was a shriek of sound suddenly and Derek ducked and covered his head. Luckily as there was a huge concussive blast followed swiftly by a blinding white light. Then the sound of stone breaking and another shriek of sound, this one almost animalistic.

Derek picked himself up off the ground and saw the orange orb seem to pop like a baloon just as a stalactite fell from the ceiling to hit Marcus in a glancing blow. The blond screamed even as more rocks continued to fall from the ceiling all around the cave floor.

Rage filled eyes seemed to gaze into the distance as the would be magic user began to chant, the cavern carrying his voice. Derek knew now would probably be his best chance. Running down the side of the bowl toward the circle, the werewolves face changed into his beta form. He used the agility and speed of the wolf to avoid the falling stones and jump over the rubble that littered the floor of the cavern.

Whether Stiles magic was still distracting him or the noise of his own chanting and the rocks falling covered Derek's approach he didn't know. The contents of the canister being thrown over the circles shields was appropriately dramatic though.

There was a sudden explsion with a scream from Marcus that was definitely at least part of the reason for the sudden rain of rocks falling. Derek did his best to cover his head as his body went flying through the air to slam into a nearby stalagmite.

Derek groaned and closed his eyes as he felt his stomach roll about like the cavern seemed to be doing. He didn't have to trigger his healing, which told him he had probably fractured his skull, not just a concussion. Slowly he opened his eyes again and almost felt sorry for Marcus for just a split second.

Cuts and slashes were appearing all over the shop keeps body. It took several minutes for Derek to figure out what might be going on. Is breaking of the Circle meant the spell had no direction, no place to go except to bounce back onto the spell caster. In this case Marcus had cast a spell at Stiles or was in the process when the Circle broke and now he was reaping the repercussions of it.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N~ So this chapter turned into a tiny bit of a crossover at the end, which was intentional. Though the characters in question are not mentioned by name you will probably recognize them. Also there is one more chapter which is gonna be an epilogue, so yes the end is Nye dear readers. Thank you for your continued support. This was started to help get rid of some writers block issues I was having with another story. It worked beautifully and became a fan hit of its own. Don't forget to read and review. ~A**

 **Chapter 16**

Derek felt his stomach roll again and despite the pain in his head, he rolled to his hands and knees and emptied the contents of his stomach right there on the floor of the cavern. Then he heard the bloody splat nearby, and looked over. Marcus was also on his hands and knees, within the remains of the Circle.

The werewolf was surprised, between the stones and the backfiring spell the human should have at least been unconscious if not dead by now. Derek shuddered in pain and revulsion. The human looked like so much hamburger. The once attractive man could barely be recognized as human now.

Derek remembered the bracelet then, he was shocked to see the bracelet was still intact. He remembered Stiles saying the bracelet was basically where Marcus got the control of the Hell Hounds and the erinyes. Plus apparently the cooperation of at least one actual demon if not two. Which also might explain why Marcus was still alive even with all the damage he has sustained.

Which means the bracelet has to go Derek thought, surprised he was able to string the chain of thought together. Followed quickly with the gratitude for werewolf healing. He didn't trust himself to try and stand so instead he grabbed the still half full canister and started crawling across the cavern floor.

Trying to avoid the sharp rocks and debris on the floor as he crawled as quickly as possible to the Circle, he nearly growled once more when he had to stop due to the nausea until the dry heaves had finished racking his body with pain and sickness.

He looked up from crawling to gauge how close he was to the Circle and nearly growled in stunned surprise. He was just on the outside of the Circle, and Marcus still knelt within the Circle where he had collapsed. Is body was repairing itself even as he watched little bits and pieces of tissue and muscle were vying for placement on the body.

The only problem was that the magic users body was in a zillion tiny pieces. Like one of the world's most advanced puzzles. One that would be put together by an entire team of AP college kids as an advanced project. Only the puzzle that used to be Marcus's body was being put together by pre-schoolers.

Putting the pieces in places they should never go and if it didn't fit use brute force to make it fit. The result was that the once rather handsome Marcus was now becoming something decidedly more grotesque. For a split second Derek wondered if this was why the grandmother had wanted them to leaver her grandson alive in order to punish him.

Derek didn't really care, he was just curious. In the meantime he needed to get the bracelet away from the other man before he was back together enough to possibly repair the Circle and reactivate the spells. The Cleaners would be here soon and they were running out of time.

Derek crawled across the remains of the Circles outer layer. Stealth wasn't really an issue . Although he wasn't dead and was still sitting upright the magic user, seemed to be unconscious. Derek grabbed the man's left wrist where the flask bracelet sat. He crawled to his knees beside the other man as his still healing brain tried to figure out how to remove the piece of jewelry from Marcus' wrist.

He felt the one of the little jeweled bits move near the mouth of the flask. He pressed in even as one of the bits of flesh crawled under his fingertips to join with parts of the wrist. He pressed the jewel and the flask sprang open under his hand. He pulled the bracelet over the mans hand and stuffed it in a pocket and crawled back out of the Circle.

He was already starting to feel stronger as he got to the edge of the bowl of the cavern, when he remembered the remainder of the dispelling powder in the canister. Pulling himself to his feet using a nearby stalagmite, he uncapped the bottle. The air currents within the cave were stagnant, but the powder in the canister was so light it should float easily enough. Hopefully they would float well enough to coat the whole cavern.

He closed his eyes and concentrated partially turning his throwing arm. The result was a little disconcerting to look at but was strong enough to do what he wanted. He drew his hand back and remembering Scott throwing the mistletoe to reveal Jennifer for what she really was, he threw his arm in an arc. The powder sprayed out the end on the air layered over the dip in the cavern floor.

The arc of the material spread out over the distance above where the Circle lay and Derek turned for the entrance of the cavern. His progress back out of the cavern wasn't as stealthy or as swift as his entrance had been, but it was just as desperate.

The explosion that had resulted from just breaking the circle had given him an idea of just how powerful a reaction he might get from destroying the whole thing. He wanted to be a lot closer to the surface at least if not completely out of the mine when the powder finally destroyed the Circle.

Derek also didn't want to be anywhere near Marcus when he and those demons he worked for figured out the plan was a bust. He wondered if any of the townspeople who were infected with the Hell Hound venom would be changed back when the Circle finally collapsed or if it would take Braeden with Stiles anti-possession formula.

Either way Derek was just hopeful he didn't run into either potential threat as he got out of this maze of tunnels. Then as he entered the main cave he heard a roar from back down the tunnel that he had just escaped. Derek lowered his head and felt his face morph into the Beta form. He could not tell if the roar was the Circle collapsing or one of the demons that Marcus had been working with, either way he didn't really want to find out.

He stumbled towards the entrance of the mine his eyes glowing a dull red as he made himself run and stumble his way out of the mine. The area around the mine entrance was empty, he ran as fast as he could manage, The volume of noise he had heard inside the cave was increasing as he ran away from the mine.

Derek felt rather than saw the heat that exploded from the front of the mine. He felt the force of it lift him into the air and carry him past several pieces of rusted heavy equipment on the ground. He had enough time to try to correct his flight path.

He landed on his feet and slid in the loose gravel around the mine. He looked up in time to see the entire face of the mountain blow out towards him in a massive explosion. He rolled towards a nearby boulder and gasped as he shoved himself against the boulder. He touched the pocket to make sure the bracelet was still there, as he let the pain and exhaustion drag him back into the darkness.

 **XXXXXXXXX**

Braeden shot another erinyes in the face. She whipped her head around to see if there were any others. She even rolled the plane to make sure there weren't any under the plane, being a little paranoid, was a healthy response she had always thought.

She looked down just as her phone rang, it was Stiles. She tucked the phone as close to her ear as possible so she could actually here him over the wind noise. "Hey, kind of busy here. What can I do for you, Stiles?" she asked as she kept her eyes on the move looking for more trouble.

"You might want to come back this way with that stuff since they seem to be concentrating on me right now," the Spark said through the phone a little breathlessly.

"One second," the former Federal agent said as he pulled up GPS on her phone and started plotting the course back to the airport. "Okay kid I'm on my way, hang on."

"No rush," said Stiles cheekily, "They're still trying to get through my first layer of defense…and failing." He actually chortled, "but I kind of need to get to Derek. So when you get a chance, let me know."

"I'm on my way now and either I've killed all the erinyes or they just abandoned me to find something else," Braeden shouted over the phone.

"Let's find out," Stiles said and there was something in his tone that said, "Reckless endangerment" to the former Marshall.

There was a buffet of wind that actually shook the plane and then a loud roar of noise that she could actually hear over the noise of the plane and the wind. When Braeden finally managed to get the plane turned and headed back towards Stiles she understood what it was she had heard.

She could only stare her body covered in a cold and clammy sweat, because ahead of her was a pillar of light shooting up into the sky. The light was tinted red and gold, and even as she flew toward it from a few miles away there was turbulence coming off the light show as the power of it disturbed the air around it.

The light from the column reflected off of something nearby and she saw three of the erinyes nearby. They seemed to be arguing about whether they should continue fighting her or go after Stiles. Apparently her turning back towards where he was, helped them decide, and they headed in Stiles direction.

Hoping the younger man was still on the line, Braeden called out, "Stiles, you have incoming. Three of the erinyes survived and they're headed your way. Stiles can you hear me?" She couldn't hear any response and she couldn't tell if that was because of the increased level of noise or possibly some interference from the new light show the teen was putting on.

She pushed the throttle forward in the hopes of getting a little more speed out of the old biplane. When she did finally get to the airfield, she had to make two very bumpy circuits around the place to actually believe what she was seeing. The second time around she did trigger the canister to release the de-possession ingredients.

Braeden couldn't actually see Stiles from the plane but she could see the Hell Hounds, they seemed to be roiling around the perimeter of the Circle. The erinyes were trying to get at the circle from above but the power from the light beacon that Stiles had created was buffeting them like a strong wind.

The former Marshall figured if the teen had been dead all of the magic now going on wouldn't be going on. She kept spraying and again the erinyes tried to get closer to her. Apparently though the engine and wings of her plane were more powerful than the erinyes driven wing power of the remaining trio.

Looking back down Braeden noticed that the Hell Hounds were changing back the process was painful looking and potentially embarrassing but gratifying. She picked up her cell phone and tried calling the teen again. This time the call went through and Stiles said, "May I help you?" in an odd tone.

"Yeah, how about getting rid of the last few erinyes, if you can, that is?" Braeden replied.

"No problem Marshall but you might want to get out of the war zone so to speak," again the phone went dead.

Braeden wisely moved away from the area around Stiles Circle rather quickly. Then turned to make a circle around the area in the opposite direction she had originally been going. Just in time to see what appeared to be a tornado start forming around the column of light. The erinyes were trying to fly away only to find themselves sucked into the tornado and then they disappeared into the storm. After a few minutes the tornado dissipated and the erinyes were gone.

She looked down and sure enough there was Stiles now visible among the human and semi-human bodies lying on the ground around him. He was the only one still standing and seemed to be working to take down the column of light and the circle. As soon as it was down the teen seemed to dance through the recovering Hell Hounds on the ground before running for the Jeep.

"Yeah sure," Braeden shouted even though she was sure he couldn't hear her, "Leave me without any way to get out of here." She turned the plane back toward the town with the intention of spraying the only other really populated area in the tiny community. Checking the time as she went, still concerned with the Cleaners arrival.

 **XXXXXXXXX**

Stiles jumped over the bodies on the ground like they were so many logs or hurdles in the forest. He ran towards the Jeep, a growing sense of desperation driving him.

He remembered from his little magical display map how to get to the mine and the fastest way to get there from here. The fastest wasn't necessarily the safest but he felt the need to get to his mate like a million stinging insects across his skin. So fastest it was going to be. He drove cross country avoiding stands of cacti and drop offs with ease. Letting his need to get to his mate guide him as much as his memory of the terrain on the map.

He came around an outcropping of rock to find the landscape very different from what he remembered from the map he had created. The face of the mountain had collapsed. The entrance to the mine had been covered completely, Stiles couldn't swallow past the scream lodged in his throat.

He was literally gasping for breath as he slammed the Jeep into park and leapt from the car. Stiles tried to scream, but the only sound was a hoarse cry of his lovers name, "Derek." As he stared at what remained of the mine's entrance.

Stiles felt something inside of him shift though and the Nogitsune was pushing him away from the mine entrance . As he moved with the fox spirit it made him go faster, until he found himself sliding around a boulder and landing on his knees beside his mate. Derek startled aware at Stiles his eyes were red, but it wasn't the Alpha glow, the whites of Derek's eyes were red, bloodshot and spotted with red. Petechia, he remembered it was called.

"Hey love, you know we have go to stop meeting like this or people will think we're just thrill junkies," Stiles said as he examined the Alpha's throat, to find no damage evident.

"You mean we're not?" Derek asked with a slight slur. Stiles looked at the older man's eyes again after hearing the slur and realized that one of the werewolves pupils were larger than the other.

"Your skull," Stiles said with a rasp to his tone.

"Yeah, not really as hard as a rock. I tried." he saw the concerned expression and said, "I'm healing though, I am healing Stiles." he said in a gentle and reassuring voice. Clasping the younger man's hand just as gently.

Stiles pushed a bit of healing energy into the werewolf as the older man pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to the younger man, "Present."

There was a very old flask bracelet, amazingly still intact. "Did you kill him?" he asked in a nonjudgmental tone.

"No, but I didn't save him either." Derek said haltingly.

"Good," Stiles said, "Where's you park?"

"Half a mile, back on the road," Derek said as his head began to loll to one side.

"Ok let's get you up and moving before you become dead weight," Stiles said as he tucked the bracelet into his own pocket. He pulled the Alpha to his feet and began to half carry him back to the Jeep.

"Nothing wrong with my weight, have a perfect BMI," Derek muttered as he tried to concentrate on keeping his feet under him and get to the other side of the still idling Jeep.

"Sure you do buddy. Have no idea what that is," he lied easily, "but I'm sure you have a very sexy BMI." When he had managed to get the werewolf into the Jeep, buckled up and the door closed behind him. As he walked around to the other side he redialed Braeden and when she answered he asked, "Have you ever tried landing on a two-laned paved road before?"

 **XXXXXXXXX**

The driver of the Impala pulled to a stop about 50 feet in front of the two parked cars that blocked the road to the town they were supposed to be saving. The young man who couldn't have been over twenty leaned against the Jeep with a nonchalance that was actually a little disturbing.

The three men got out of the muscle car which is when they took note of the woman with the assault rifle aimed at them. Then there was the man sitting in the passenger seat of the Jeep. His eyes were closed as if he were asleep or just bored with the proceedings.

"So are you the one who called us?" the driver asked. His voice harsh but amicable enough.

"Nope, we're the ones who saved you from the trap he set." the kid said with a self-deprecating smile.

"You saved us," the driver said with a snort. Instead of answering the hater, Stiles ignored the snaky one and spoke to the one in the trench coat, "Tell me percentage wise, over a hundred Hell Hounds, over a dozen erinyes, a Gaea Circle wielded by a dark user with the bound armies of Asmodeus and Mephistopheles, none of which you knew until I just told you. Your chances of success let alone survival would be what exactly?" He asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.

The dark haired man's impassive expression didn't change but his head tilted as he said, "They would not work together…" then his eyes widened as he whispered, "unless they have Baalphegor's Vial?"

"Oh yeah, you mean this little thing?" Stiles said pulling the bracelet out of his pocket and holding it up to show the trio. The other two were looking at each other in confusion, but the man in the trench coat, he moved toward Stiles as though to take the vial from him.

"You didn't answer my question. What were your chances?" Stiles repeated after dropping the bracelet back in his pocket. Dark eyes stared at him as though trying to read his soul through them. "None," the older man said baldly.

"What, no…" the younger looking man said in argument.

"Without some divine intervention which we know isn't coming, we wouldn't have stood a chance." The man in the trench coat said, his expression not changing.

"So how did you do it and who are you?" the driver asked and this time the amicability was missing from his tone.

"Isn't it obvious? We're the good guys." the kid said with a cheeky grin. "So you're the Cleaners. The motel is crappy but clean. Watch out for the occult shop in town, it's probably booby trapped but fully stocked. The erinyes are all gone and the Hell Hounds have all been de-possessed or exorcised." "

He…" he said indicating the man behind him in the passenger seat, "took out the Gaea Circle, disabled the dark crafter and stole back the vial. You'll find a mine about three miles in that direction," he said indicating the direction over the other shoulder, "or what's left of one and underneath the rubble are the remains of the Circle and the Summoner, Good luck with digging that out." he concluded with a little salute as he went and climbed in the driver seat of the Jeep.

"Hey wait a minute who the hell are you kid," said the younger man and Braeden answered, "He told you, today, we're the good guys." She clicked the safety on and put the assault rifle in the passenger seat before climbing into the other drivers seat and gunning the motor a little drove around the Impala and down the road out of town.

Stiles in the meantime had started the engine, the werewolf roused slightly and mumbled softly. Stiles pushed enough healing energy that the werewolf perked up enough to open his eyes and said, "Stiles?"

"It's okay, we're going home now, you sleep now." he said knowing the werewolf was probably still suffering with the headache from hell. No pun intended. Derek merely nodded his head ever so slightly and settled back into the seat. He drove around the opposite side of the car from Braeden and as he pulled even with the

older passenger he drew the flask bracelet from his pocket and extended it out the window to the man.

"I'm guessing you know how to get rid of this little item, Cleaner?" Stiles asked facetiously.

The older man took the relic and touched Stiles hand and Stiles felt him try to scan Stiles. The Spark and Nogitsune within him both pushed back forcefully and the man in the trench coat ended up on his ass.

"Silly angel, tricks are for kits." Stiles said with a wild laugh as he drove past the man on the ground still clutching the bracelet.

 **A/N/N~ Hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving. I will be spending the holidays with family like I hope you all can. Therefore I will not be posting again until after the beginning of next month. In the meantime Peace to all.**


	17. Epilogue

**A/N~ Thank you everyone who has posted and loved this story. We are finally at the end of this story which started out as a block breaker and took on a life on it's own. I may eventually write a sequel but for right now this is the end. Thank you for all the love. ~A**

 **Epilogue**

Braeden left them two towns over. Stiles had been pushing energy into the Alpha while holding his hand. That was the only reason Derek was able to get out of the passenger seat to say goodbye to the former Marshall. She told them that she was going to continue to try and track down the Desert Wolf.

She promised to keep them informed so that they could pass it along to Malia if she was interested. Stiles wasn't sure if it was the mate bond or if she was just that excited she didn't care if they overheard as she said under her breath, "Now to go get laid."

By the time they got back to Beacon Hills Derek was almost fully recovered but Stiles was running on fumes. Both wanted to check in on the Sheriff and to hopefully find that Scott hadn't been incredibly stupid or fool hardy and gotten himself arrested while they were gone.

When Stiles climbed out of the Jeep to come and help Derek down and ended up on all fours because he was so tired. Derek half carried him into the hospital. Despite three nurses and one orderly who came to ask them if they needed help, they managed to get to the Sheriff's room at which Stiles nearly had a panic attack, when they discovered the Sheriff wasn't in the room.

A nurse who recognized Stiles found them on the floor with Derek trying to soothe him out of the panic attack. She explained that because his father was recovering he had been moved to a step down room, for recovering patients who required less monitoring.

Yes he was doing better but the officer was still on guard and Scott was still persona non gratae in the hospital, even to visit his mother. Stiles really couldn't offer much sympathy to the older woman as he was still pretty angry with his best friend. He was so busy ruminating over his thoughts and feelings that he almost missed Derek's off the cuff statement, "Now I know why I'm here."

Almost, but not quite. Stiles brow was knitted as he heard the statement and ran it around in his mind until he registered the meaning of it. "What?" he asked.

"Hmmm," Derek asked, his tired brain and Stiles tired brain being on a slightly different wave length at the moment.

"What did you just say?" Stiles asked again as he pulled the werewolf to a stop in the surprisingly quiet hallway of the hospital.

Derek looked confused for a minute as he tried to remember what he had said that might have disturbed the Spark, he looked a little chagrined as he repeated, "Now I know why I'm here? Why you need me?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Stiles asked, and there was a growing look of aggravation on his face as he spoke.

The usually confident looking Alpha had a very vulnerable look in his eyes as he said, "Well I was wondering why you needed me, you probably could have handled the whole situation in the Valley by yourself. I mean you healed Braeden. You figured out the trap for the Cleaners. You would have left all those people behind to protect Braeden and I."

"When you finally figured out that we weren't leaving you figured out the plan to break the trap before the Cleaners got caught in it. You called yourself the distraction but you put yourself in the most danger. Just made me wonder why I was here?" Derek aid with a shrug and a slightly sad smile on his face.

Stiles shook his head and now the aggravation had escalated into annoyance. Grabbing Derek's wrist Stiles began checking the doors in the hall before pulling Derek into what amounted to a linen closet. He locked the door behind him before rounding on the other man.

"Seriously, you really don't know why I need you? You think I need you for what, backup or support or something? Really Derek, some Super Wolf you are. Yes, I know magic and healing stuff, and I have a strategic brain. Yeah, you have your strengths too, not the least of which is your strength, but that's not why I need you. You're such a moron," and the annoyed look morphed into an affectionate grin.

"I need you because you listen to me. You actually listen. You call me on my bullshit and yet you believe me when no one else does," Stiles raised his hand when Derek was about to speak and the werewolf subsided content to hear the younger man out.

"You learned to take me seriously when everyone else still sees me as the spazz with ADHD. Even Scott the guy who I've thought of as a brother since we were kids still doesn't trust me to know what I'm doing most of the time." Stiles said and then added.

"I think you've always been a little insecure in your own abilities as a werewolf and an Alpha. I blame your mom and Laura. People get a certain idea of how you're supposed to be in their heads and if you step outside of that comfort zone they spend their lives trying to put you back in that box." Stiles smile twisted a little as he continued, "I should know they've been doing the same thing to me since my mom died."

"We're changing," he said pressing his palm to Derek's scruffy cheek and said, "You and I are the people in each other's lives who see the changes and accept them without question. Trust, that's one of the many reasons I keep you around. Trust, love, adoration," he drew that word out as he drew the older man closer to him.

"My incredible sexiness," Derek offered with a playful smile.

Stiles snorted and put his forehead on the older man's shoulder and giggled for a few seconds, before he agreed, "Oh yes there is that too.

"You need me too. To see through the gruff Alpha to the marshmallow underneath and to keep you from wallowing in the past." He looked into the other mans eyes as he kissed the older man passionately. His tongue sweeping into the older man's mouth and then Derek was holding him off the floor against his chest.

He held him there as things between them became even more passionate. Stiles became a little dizzy and the truth was he wasn't sure if it was because of the passion or the fact that he was exhausted.

He pulled back and offered, "Let's go check on my dad, go home, shower, sleep and then see what happens from there?"

 **XXXXXXXXX**

Stiles walked into the hospital room first to find Scott there. Derek was around his mate and headed for the other Alpha before Stiles knew what was going on. When the Spark figured it out he was ready to jump across his father's bed and take his best friend down himself. Instead he closed the door behind him and said calmly, "Don't kill him here Derek, my Dad's room is not going to be a crime scene."

Derek didn't even look at Stiles, he knew that voice was the Nogitsune as he grabbed the younger Alpha by the throat and prepared to slam him to the floor. The Sheriff yelled at him, "Derek, put Scott down."

"Why should I do that? He was told what should happen to him if he came near you again," Derek said and the growl in his voice rattled John Stilinski's teeth but the older man stood his ground.

He didn't become Sheriff by backing down or backing off, "I invited him." The Sheriff explained.

"You tell me not to take unnecessary risks and yet you invite the one who was going to kill you to come and visit, _without backup?_ Since when are you the foolhardy one in this relationship?" Stiles asked and there was a hint of sting to that tone.

"Since I'm the adult?" the older man said haughtily.

"Eighteen now dad, may not be able to drink alcohol but I can defend my country, buy my own home, get a job and drive. Also wonder just how much Parrish would agree with you. Considering your current visitor is someone who actually had a restraining order put on him as part of the terms for his release from custody. He has to stay 500 yards away from you."

John's head whipped around to stare at his son and he exclaimed, "I didn't agree to that."

"Because you were in a coma," Stiles explained slowly as if to a child, "Because someone thought it would be a good idea not to enlighten anyone outside of HIS Pack that a rogue Alpha was wandering around Beacon Hills. Including the law enforcement officers who might encounter said individual. Or even his own mother who might encounter someone who got bitten by the damned Alpha."

Stiles anger was mitigated only slightly by the other teen at least having the good grace to look embarrassed by Stiles hostile words. With a signal from the Spark, Derek released the other Alpha and went to lean against a nearby wall to study the assembled individuals nonchalantly.

"So why are you here Scott? Dad may not have been aware of the restraining order but you were and you still accepted the invitation. Why?"

"Mom is really angry with me. She told me I was an idiot for keeping that from everybody. The Pack even told me I was crazy to think they hadn't wanred their families to not go out at night and to stay away from strangers." Scott found his toes very fascinating while he made the confession.

"Yeah, I think I mentioned that about the same time you threatened to kill my dad." Stiles said in a hostile tone.

"I didn't mean kill him no matter what. It's just that…" Scott hesitated.

"Just that you didn't trust me to make the magic do what I wanted it too?" Stiles offered in a saccharine sweet tone. "Because after all what do I know?"

Stiles actually saw his father flinch and realized the older man apparently thought the same thing. Stiles sighed and saw Derek twitch slightly and saw the older man flash him a look that anyone else would not understand. It was his relaxed and confident looking indicating he trusted Stiles with whatever the younger man decided on.

"I'll be watching you McCall," Stiles said, tiredly. "Anything else happens like this, as much as I love Melissa, they won't find your body." He leaned over the hospital bed and brushed his dad's forehead with his lips and said to the gaping man, "Glad you're feeling better Dad."

Stiles gathered Derek with a glance and the two marched out of the hospital room together. A few seconds later they heard the door open and sneakers squeaked behind the pair.

Derek was in front of Stiles as they turned and if there was a hint of ruby in his eyes when he turned to face Scott, no one else in the hall really noticed. "Stiles," Scott said wistfully, "I was hoping we could talk?"

Stiles eyebrows raised to the point there were actually wrinkles in his forehead. Before patting his mates shoulder gently."Ok what do you want to talk about exactly?"

"Well," it was obvious the other teen had apparently not expected Stiles easy acceptance, then a pleased look came onto his face as the werewolf asked, "Okay where have you guys been the past few days?"

Stiles eyes went dead and he said, "Curiosity killed the werewolf, Scotty. We went to save a town from an invasion from hell," he said deadpan.

The Spark tilted is head and said, "You wanna be friends again Scott?" At the other young man's nod. "Then you need to earn it. Let me know when you're ready to do that." Stiles said before ducking into the elevator that Derek was holding for them.

 **XXXXXXXXX**

Derek gazed down at the snoring young man who was wrapped around him like a cocoon, and kissed his forehead. The two had high hopes of an assignation when they got home. Their hopes had turned into a heavy petting session with lots of cuddling followed by dozing by Derek and heavy sleeping to the point of not moving by Stiles.

"You're wrong, you know," Derek whispered to the top of Stiles head. "You are the heart of flame and I was the heart of stone." He pulled Stiles hand up and placed it over his heart. "You forged me into a diamond. Hard enough to protect everyone in that organ and clear enough to see the truth, finally. You may be part the Nogitsune, but you were right, it does understand Pack living."

"That I can have a new family, a new Pack, not just an army for revenge, but for fun and Pack nights, and …no we are not calling them puppy piles." Derek said with an amused smirk. That put the lie to his next statement, "Hate calling it that."

"We're totally calling them that," Stiles slurred with a sleepy smile, "and you will love it."

Eyes flashed red and the smile Derek gave was one Stiles would probably call panties melting if he were the kind to kiss and tell. Which he was not. The Alpha merely responded, "Yes mate."

Stiles smile widened as he petted the chest of the Alpha and said, "Sleep now I have naughty plans for later." The Alpha rumbled and Stiles might just call it purring but never to Derek's face. A smile bloomed over the older man's face as Stiles cuddled into his side and the pair dozed off in each others arms/


End file.
